Gilpin observer., 1913-05-15

have been traced in many cases directly into sick
rooms, as well as to markets and fruit stalls
where foodstuffs displayed, without being
screened. By such means as this flies were
traced during outbreak of typhoid fever in
Plattsburgh, N. Y The local authorities thought
that drinking water milk, or some like sup
ply infected but an investigator from New
York went to the Saranac river, into which the
sewage of Plattsburgh carried and from
there he traced flies they went into moving
picture show attended by large audience. and
he traced the flies they went from the "mov
ies back to the river.
Countless instances of the spread OF various
diseases have been recorded all the country,
and result instead of being regarded merely
a harmless, though annoying little pest, the
house fly is today considered of the dead
liest enemies man has to contend with. Far
dangerous than war. for the fly is every
where every summer, excepting in enlightened
communities. like Cleveland, Ohio, which is rap
idly becoming pretty nearly fyless city.
Last year experiments undertaken in a
number of places to exterminate flies Newspa-
pers of Worcester Mass, offered money prizes
for the largest quantity Of flies caught and the
results astonishing One enterprising lad OF
twelve years won the first prize of 500 when he
delivered ninety-lve quarts Of flies. But 1t was
found out later that in order to succeed he had
actually gone into the business Of breeding flies
in heaps of fish offal. Altogether the city OF
Worcester caught and killed forty bushels OF
flies in a few weeks. For obvious reasons those
Interested in fly determination are not offering
prizes in the same way this year for dead flies.
In good many communities prizes are offered
for 1yless blocks of houses or for farms or barns
that have flies in them
Organizations like the Woman's Municipal
League of Boston are paying for steropticon lee
lures delivered before all sorts OF audiences.
and getting Boy Scouts, District Nursing as
socatons. school children. and others at work
In the effort. One Of the scientists Tlost actively
Interested is c. F. Hodge. professor Of biology
at Clark university. vino has accomplished re-
markable results by screening houses to keep
flies on the outside by killing winter flies when
they awake in early spring and crawl out OF
cracks, picture holdings, and other dark places
where they spend the cold weather. and by catch
ing in traps of his own design millions of youAg
flies before they can get to kitchen. dining-room
or restaurant. -,is
One of the most effective steps taken in the
campaign of education Is due to Mr.. Hatch who
sent a man to London, at his own expense. and
there had made microscopic photographs or fies
and their dangerous activities from which NOV.
ing picture film was constructed. The film, shown
all over the country, is believed to have done
more than any other thing to bring millions
of people to realize how great is the danger from
files and how necessary to remove 1t.
One of the most ingenious methods for teach
ing children facts regarding flies is in
small pamphlet prepared by Jean Dawson of the
Cleveland Normal school, who has adopted the
question and answer plan of instruction. After
explaining in this way. why flies are dangerous,
how they spread disease, where they spend the
winter and what they do in spring the little book
tells about their breeding, their food and how
they carry dirt well disease.
The closing questions and answers are as fol-
lows
20. Can family escape the dangers from flies
by screening them out Of the house?
No. not If they food which flies have
swarmed fallen into.
21. Do flies carry sickness and death to many
people in the United States?
There nearly five hundred thousand
OF typhoid fever yearly in the United States, and
nearly $4,000 deaths. Much OF this distributed
by flies. Forty-nine thousand infants die an.
nually OF enteritis summon complaint. the
germs Of which probably all carried to the
milk by flies. Flies now known to be the