Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-08
IN WAR On FLIES
ATLANTA PUPILS
HAVE ENLISTED
Public Schools Join in a Campaign
to Swat the Insects Out
Of Existence.

! CONSERVATION was thrown into the
ranks of Atlanta's vast army of flies
last week when it was learned that
the school children of the city had
been enlisted in campaign to wipe
them out of existence. Each one of
the several billion flies, from com
mander down to keeper of the com
missary, blinked each of his thou
sand-more or less-eyes in direct
alarm.
The worst became known yester-
day Then it was that the school
authorities made known that prizes
not only had been offered but had
been awarded to the scholars map
ping out the best plan for a whole
sale slaughter Of the entire fly army
The officers the rank and file were
aghast at the sanguinary crusade
planned by these human beings.
And how eagerly the children re-
sponded. They not only discussed in
their compositions the most effective
manner Of putting a summary end
to the legions Of insects, but they
treated in learned phrase of the
origin of the pests.
Louise Woodruff Declares War.
Louise Woodruff, Of the eighth
grade of the Peoples Street School,
uttered a decisive declaration of war
the very first thing she did.
The fly is among our worst enc
mics" she asserted with finality. we
should do everything we possibly can
to fight it. The fly is d great car
rier of disease. We are slow to rec
ogniZe this because we can not catch
him in the act. but these pesky in
sects have claimed their victims by
the hundreds, even by the thousands,
and under tragic circumstances. Flies
come into contact with all kinds of
disease germs and then transfer them
TO healthy animals or persons. Many
diseases attributed to impure water
and milk originate through flies"
Miss Woodruff, while as anxious as
anyone for the prompt determination
of the army of flies, laid much of the
blame for the flies existence upon
the human race itself, and declared
that the fly virtually had been invited
TO come and take up its abode with
man.
Speaking broadly" she said. man
has made the house fly: il has de-
veloped along with the human dwell
ing. II thrives simply because we af-
ford II food, protection and breeding
| places.
The first thing to do is to destroy
its breeding places. The next thing
Is to shut it out of the homes, dwell
ings and places where foods are
stored or sold. Keep everything clean
and sanitary. Screen all windows and
doors. Look after your garbage cans
and see that they are well sprinkled
| with lime or kerosene oil"
Swat the Fly! He Uraes.
NJ. l.. Willingham. of the ninth
grade, Center Hin School, wrote:
The fly is a deadly enemy 10 hu-
manity. Besides being unhealthful,
because II is unclean, il spreads dis
| ease broadcast by carrying germs.
Flies should never ,be allowed about
a patient with contagious disease.
Any such disease NAV be scattered nv
the fly. BY feeding on the waste mat
ter from the sick room they procure
a number Of germs and deposit them
elsewhere. The deadly disease, con-
| sumption, is being spread daily by the
ny. IL will feed on the spittle of the
patient and spread the dangerous
germ Wherever he goes.
Files carry the germs OF diphthe-
ria and typhoid fever and often cause
| babies 20 have intestinal diseases
They light on persons and infected
eXcretions and then carry the mil
lions of bacteria on their bodies and
legs to other persons and food on which
they next alight. thereby leaving mil
lions Of germs behind"
Excellent advice as to the best
methods OF fly prevention is found in
the essay of Mildred Chandler. She
said:
The first thing in fly prevention is
to destroy its breeding places. In
doing this. stables and barnyards
| should be kept clean and dry. BY
| spreading the manure on the fields
regularly reduces the number Of flies
to one-tenth. or even one hundredth,
Of what they are on the average.
After the breeding places have been
| destroyed. the next step is 10 shut 10
out. No one shold be without screens.
and they should be put up before they
begin 10 hatch. Above ALL swat the
fly II il does creep in"
Sprinkle chloride Of lime around
4 the garbage can, and screen all re-
ceptacles for manure is the good adj
vice Of Josephine Colbert.
The Prize Winning Essays.
y
rious schools were written by the fol-
lowing pupils: Fifth and sixth grades
OF the Fulton County schools, Ralph
Morris. sixth grade. Lakewood
Heights School. fifth and sixth grades
Of the Atlanta public schools, jose
phine Colbert, sixth grade Ira Street
School; seventh and eighth grades
Fulton County schools, Mildred Chan
dler. eighth grade, Lakewood Heights
/ School seventh and eighth grades.
Atlanta public schools, Louise Wood
ruff. eighth grade. Peoples Street
school, ninth and tenth grades, Full
ton County schools. NJ. L. Willing.
ham. ninth -rade. Center Hill School:
Atlanta High School. Alice R. Cooper,
first grade B. Girls High School:
seventh and eighth grades, colored
| schools OF Atlanta, Alice Keebler.
eighth grade. YOnge Street School.
fifth and sixth grades, colored schools
Of Atlanta Jimmie LeSueur, fifth
grade. YonEe Street School.
.