1912 - Fly-Swatting

“When the clock strikes six tonight, the Spectator’s fly-exterminating contest will have become a thing of the past, and the fifty-five bright, hustling little girls and boys, who have taken hold and made it a success, will have more than one reason for personal congratulation. They have not only won a prize, but they have done something in the interests of humanity: they have saved the lives of many babies and perhaps prevented numbers of older people from falling victims to that dread disease, typhoid.”

          ¹“On the Last Lap : Fly Swatters Will Conclude Their Efforts Tonight in the Spectator Contest”

          Hamilton Spectator.     July 6, 1912.

          It was a mix of shameless promotion for the Spectator to increase sales and a sincere scheme to further the state of public health in the city.

          It was felt that flies were the cause of the spread of infectious diseases and that perhaps a contest to encourage the reduction of the fly population in the city would have a major benefit for the well-being of city dwellers in during the heat of the summer in 1912.

          Encouraged by the Hamilton Director of Health, Dr. Roberts, the management of the Hamilton conceived, financed and extensively promoted a Fly-Swatting Contest. Several financial prizes were put in place, topped by the first place prize of $50 to the person who would deliver the highest number of swatting fly carcasses for enumeration the board of health office at Hamilton City Hall

          Beginning on June 15, 1912, and continuing for the following two weeks, flies were being swatted throughout Hamilton in large numbers, the contest participants being mainly boys and girls.

          As the contest was reaching its final stages, the Spectator complimented both the contest participants:

          “The boys and girls have done no small part in cleaning Hamilton of one its worst pests, and thus given the ambitious city the honor of being the first in Canada to conduct a campaign of this kind.

          “Hamilton has now several million less flies than it would have had if this contest had not been inaugurated. Neither can the benefit of the campaign be measured by the number of flies brought to the city hall during the contest. Throughout the entire city, many people who have made no effort to enter the contest have developed the swatting habit, and the benefits from this would be hard to estimate.”¹

                As the contest finale was approaching quickly, the number of dead flies brought to city hall on Friday July 5, 1912 was very high. The daily total was 154,900 dead flies, with Aubrey Leckie breaking all individual daily records by delivering 38,900 flies.

          The Spectator had prepared specific plans for the finale of the contest scheduled for Saturday, July 6:

          “In order to accommodate the closing rush, the board of health office will be open to receive flies from 4 to 6 p.m., and EVERY CONTESTANT IS REQUESTED TO BE ON HAND WHETHER HE OR SHE HAS ANY FLIES OR NOT. The result will be announced in Monday’s paper, when the individual number of each contestant will be given, and the winners’ names published in their order of standing.”¹

                It was a busy on James street north in vicinity of the Hamilton City Hall beginning around 6 p.m. as the fly-swatting contest came to an end:

          “The closing scenes were interesting. The big crowd of boys and girls gathered around the building, each holding a pail or bag of flies, attracted the attention of many older ones, and long before the last delivery had been made, several hundred people had gathered around the hall and watched the final incidents of the big contest with much interest.

          “For nearly two hours there was a steady stream of children going in and out of the health office, and Inspector McDonald heaved a big sigh of relief when he signed the last receipt just as the clock struck six.

          “At the close of the contest, the contestants were grouped at the city and a photo taken by A. M. Cunningham.”²

² “It’s Now Up to You : Spectator’s Fly Swatter Caught a Million and a Half, and Have Shown the People What Can Be Done to Wipe out the Pest” Hamilton Spectator. July 8, 1912

                The spectator was not shy in complimenting itself as regards the success of the contest:

          “One of the features is the fact that many of the boys have been gathering their flies at some of the city manufacturing plants, and now that these places are clear of flies, there is much rejoicing on the part of the owners, many of whom have expressed their thanks in no uncertain manner to the Spectator for having inaugurated the contest.”¹

                It was a very tight race for first place. Aubrey Leckie who had gained the record for most dead flies brought in during a single day ended up with a total of 263,100 dead flies, just a trifle over 16,000 less than Fred J. Humphreys who captured the $50 first place prize with a total of 279,850.

          The total number of dead flies brought to the city hall was 1,470, 188.
          The Spectator published a full editorial on the effort until the headline "A Great Campaign" :
         "The Spectator's anti-fly crusade, insofar as it consisted in an effort to incite young people to destroy the insect and bring the remains in measured quantities, came to an end on Saturday last. But the movement which it has set going on the part of the whole people will continue, and the fly will now be regarded as an enemy to be combated in every possible way, not merely as a nuisance, but as a communicator of disease. The principal object of the agitation was to educate the public regarding a pervasive, but not commonly realized peril, and that object has been achieved. The reduction in the number of flies usually afflicting Hamilton at this season, brought about by the young people's contest, must be enormous, as insects trapped and destroyed early in the season would, if they had lived, by this time have multiplied into millions: but that is only a small part of the benefit accruing from the campaign. Hence forth in every household there will be an intelligent conception of the agency of the fly in the spread of typhoid and other scourges, and a corresponding degree of vigilance will be exercised in its exclusion or extermination.
          "To the Spectator belongs the honor, such as it may be, of the introduction of the anti-fly movement through newspaper agitation in Canada. Its example has been followed by other prominent Canadian daily papers, in time for excellent work to be done in their respective localities this season. The information which the Spectator has made public concerning the nature and the habits of the fly, freely illustrated, has become familiar in other parts of the Dominion, and doubtless it will continue to be disseminated till in not a single community can it said, 'My people perish for want of knowledge.'
          "To the cheerful and even enthusiastic co-operation of Dr. Roberts much is due for the success of the young people's contest. The host of boys and girls who brought him their prey found in him an indefatigable counselor and friend."

          In wrapping up its coverage of the Fly-Swatting Contest, the Spectator complimented the participants and they give encouragement to continue their efforts to make Hamilton a healthier city:

          “It has meant a lot of hard work for the boys and girls, and all deserve the commendation of every citizen for having assisted in such a useful work.

          “Now that the contests has closed, don’t neglect to swat a fly – keep right on swatting, and whenever you see a fly, even though it be on a bald head – swat it.”²