Bennett] FLY CAMPAIGN IN SPRINGFIELD 351 



paign. We made free use of our privilege. We followed the 

 introductory article with a series of more interesting "reader" 

 articles . They were ' ' catchy , " bri ght , and usually in story form , — 

 as, for instance, "the History of the Fly." Then we published 

 a number of "Everyday Proverbs," consisting of sayings of 

 "Poor Richard," maxims, and adages made over into slogans 

 for the fly campaign. Then these were followed by a set of 

 "Everyday Parables," patterned after Aesop's fables, and having, 

 as their "morals" the truths expressed in the "Proverbs." Our 

 articles became popular with the reading public, and we had the 

 satisfaction of receiving a request for articles by other papers, 

 and even from the paper that had refused to print them, before. 



By this time the campaign had proven itself a success. The 

 committees of the Patrons' Clubs were doing excellent work. 

 They forced the owners of stables to keep them reasonably clean, 

 and they compelled one dairy to adopt more sanitary methods. 

 The Metropolitan Insurance Company got out very instructive 

 posters which were scattered broadcast over the city. The 

 Manual Training Departments in many of the schools made 

 swatters. A fund donated by the business men bought six 

 thousand swatters to be distributed in the schools. The Utilities 

 Company gave swatters to its patrons, and, since then, many 

 other Springfield firms have done likewise. On a certain day, 

 set aside for the purpose, the Gayety Theatre gave a free matinee 

 to the school children, showing fly films. And the Utilities 

 Company furnished free transportation on street cars for the 

 schools to attend, each at a set time in the day. From that day 

 to this, Springfield has been most eager to be rid of flies. Thus 

 the work of the Biology Department, in starting the campaign 

 was finished, and other willing hands have been ready since, to 

 carry on the work. 



The war on flies in Springfield is important not only as a fly 

 campaign, but also as an agent in producing a tendency to be 

 "alive" to the problems of civic duty. It opened our eyes to the 

 need of inspection of milk and foods, the cleaning up of alleys, 

 a generous support of the Anti-Tuberculosis movement, and, 

 finally, the formation of the Springfield Improvement League. 

 Into the hands of this organization we have consigned our feeble 

 efforts, with the sincere wish that they may, some day, make 

 Springfield a "Flyless City." 



