SLC Offered a Bounty for Rats and Flies

Clipping from The Salt Lake Tribune 1918-01-27

Here is a SLC history tidbit from 100+ years ago.

Starting about 1912, Salt Lake City tried to reduce the proliferation of rat and flies by issuing a bounty.

Initially, 10 cents per dead rat or 100 flies was paid by the SLC Health Department.

Children organized “clean-town clubs” within their school districts and organized squads to exterminate the rodents.

In 1914 the bounty was reduced to 8 cents per rat. The bounty on flies remained at 10 cents per 100 through the spring and then was reduced to 15 cents a pint in the summer.

The Health Department also decided that it would only pay a bounty on house flies and not for cattle or horse flies.

The City appropriated $1,000 for the bounty payments in 1914.

Sources: SL Herald 1913-04-06; SL Telegram 1914-04-30 and 1914-06-18