"That the fly may be completely exterminated is proven by one dairyman in this village, is the declaration made by Dr. E. E. Moore, health commissioner of Wilmette, in an interview concerning the progress of the fly and mosquito campaign now in progress under the auspices of the Wilmette Improvement Association.
"I have been trying to interest the merchants and the people generally in the eradication of the pestiferous fly," the doctor continued. "But for the most part the work has merely demonstrated to me that an appeal to the citizen accomplishes very little.
"As the village board is without the necessary funds to better the sanitary conditions throughout the village, I appealed to the Wilmette Improvement Association. As usual, this association responded very liberally. They have supplied two dozen fly traps, thus initiating an aggressive fly campaign, which should have been underway two months ago.
"These traps are being placed in the rear of stores and in livery barns or wherever it is thought that the most can be accomplished. But it can be readily seen that this gift, generous as it is, is utterly inadequate to cope with the myriad of disease-breeding pests, which have already gotten half a summer's start on us. I should suggest that the Boy Scouts of Wilmette interest themselves in manufacturing these traps for the use of the village. They might find it a good business proposition.
"To do effective work there should be at least 200 of these traps in operation throughout the town,l and placed in every alleyway in the village there ought to be located three or four traps to the block. Another means of accomplishing this end is the interest which the individual citizen may take in the work. He could purchase one or more of these traps, which are of the simplest construction, for a small sum; or he might contribute his $2 membership fee to the improvement association and receive one of these traps, which the organization is distributing to all members.
"In doing this citizens will co-operate with the board of health and the improvement association in ridding the town of a nuisance which has been increased greatly by the long period of hot weather combined with the inadequate means at the command of the village for the removal of garbage and rubbish. Another particularly favorable factor for fly-culture is the carelessnes with which the average livery stable proprietor maintains his manure boxes.
"There are a few merchants who have actively united with the health department in its efforts to oust the fly from the village. These are Leo M. Dean, Wilson, Rennacker, Aspegren, Galitz & Schultz, Van Deusen, Brinkman and Sam's."
"Dean, through the efficient use of traps, sprayers, sulfate of iron and scaboline, which is a combination of creosote and kerosene, has completely eliminated the fly from his stables, his dairy and his store. Other merchants, and citizens much more easily, could accomplish this same ideal with the energetic and persistent use of preventatives. Dean has fought the fly for two consecutive seasons. But he has cut out the fly through the adoption of a systematic treatment of his place of business, which has been his system and will remain his system, if he is going to keep ahead of the fly."
