The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1915-10-01
The Fly Campaign in Westminster

These traps are the property OF the
Civic League, and have a history.
There was a time, not more thar
1--WE years ago, when the fronts OF
some of the frame buildings on the
sunny side of the street near the
business center of town, were literal
Nv covered with flies. One young
woman shudderingly expressed 1T
'HThey were there by the million.
His flyship came i'm swarms anc
droves from all kinds OF unclean
places, such as garbage, street hlth
pig-pens, stables and outhouseS. The
breeding places, some Of them, re-
main, but the product u being taken
care UT at much expense, thought and
labor.
The first real agitation along this
line was begun by Or. Fitzhugh 10
1912
Meetings were held for both color
ed and white people. Posters were
put up, an Office opened in care OF
Miss Elsie Gernand, who gave an
hour and "a half each afternoon and
part VI Saturday to the work She
not only paid for the flies, but count
ed them.
The prize was twenty-five cents for
the largest number brought in each
day.
Fifty dollar. was donated by a
friend of the cause TO be distributed
as prizes att the end of thu season.
One st for the girls, and one for the
boys. These were given out in a
mass meeting held in the Opera
House.
In 1913 tha Civic League came in-
To existence and that organization
undertook the responsibility of the
fly campaign.
Mrs. George Mather was the first
chairman vi the fly committee. DIR
Fftzhugh offered to give $500 pro
yided another $500 was raised. This
Mrs. Mather more than met, al she
raised $4,000 most of which was DO
mated. The rest she earned. Each
week an article was printed in the
county papers on the subject and
literature was sent out broadcast
Latimer ElderdiCe wa in charge of
the Office, on Saturday afternoons.
There were various prizes. The first,
S1.O0 to either boy or girl; sec
ond prize, ten show tickets; third
prize, tive show tickets. There We're
also two prizes Of five dollars in
value, given at the end of the season
to boy and girl.
These two years of effort and
achievement, made a firm foundation
for the season Of 1914. The work
was under the craftsmanship of Mrs.
Frank Myers. She saw the need Of
public fly traps, and obtaining a
model from a neighboring town, set
to work and made fifty with her own
hands. She also undertook and car
ried On the Office work herself. This
means that all the flies are brought
to her.
Last year, through the League, no
less than 1900 prize picture show
tickets were issued This year up to
September first 900 had been donated
to the cause of civic cleanliness.
The Civic League wishes to exp
press to the managers Of the Star
and Opera House, thanks and appre-
citation for their unfailing cooper
alton, and their generosity in donat-
ing tickets.
In 1914, The total expenditure Of
the League for flies was $4,000.
We are all familiar with the twenty
pound candy bucket. The catch for
1914 was thirty-two Of these buckets
full
The homemade traps have been
replaced by the new ones now in
use. These public traps are baited
with bananas. The total average
catch from them per week IL from
five to six gallons.
The flies are killed with black
flag in an alright box. After much
experimenting, it was found best To
cremate them in the furnace OF a
large plant near town.
This season, all the public traps
are in the charge of Edgar Shaffer-
Mrs. Myers and her committee
have extended their work to take in
the mosquito. A lady discovered
that the city garbage cans offered
excellent breeding places for them
This was followed by an inspection
and dose Of coal oil to each can.
1t may be we'll to recall the fact
that one small tomato can half filled
with rain water, can harbor enough
mosquitoes to make neighborhood
miserable.
The chairman of the fly committee
can hardly be given too much credit
III LIE G1CISyY nAh
cheerfulness with which she has
conducted her task. In addition to
all her other activities, on the fly
committee, she helped add To tn
funds by baking and selling cake
and pies.
The report of the committee for
1915 includes the following data:
mo Edgar Shaffer $4,000
10 Simon Nusbaum, for traps $4,000
For additional flies $81.20
Total expenditure S127.2O
lid to the first or September thu
committee had received seventeen 20
pound buckets. Besides this Edgar
Shaffer bought As gallons. This
month three more buckets have been
brought ia, making more than 16
buckets in all. In connection with
this expenditure, as before stated,
200 picture show tickets were given
out The children have been receiv-
i'm tn cents and show ticket for
a pint OF flies. That il, while the
money lasted. Unfortunately, flies
are always more in evidence than
funds W. would like To &C. this
situation reversed, for our high am
hilton il f1y1eSs town