Traveling publicity campaigns — Inside the Classic

led. In fact, at nearly all the places the attendance was such as to require two speakers and, on several occasions, it required a third speaker to accommodate the large crowd. If the attendance did not exceed two hundred, the two speakers took care of them in the lecture cars, but where the crowd was over two hundred the over-flow was taken in the waiting room of the depot, where a speaker was provided. Where there was not an opportunity for the insect train to stop, a lecturer was dropped off to hold a meeting at the depot or an up-town place. Later, the man would be picked up by one of the regular trains and left at a station where the Hessian Fly Special was scheduled to stop. Or a man would be sent ahead on a regular train to hold a meeting and would later be picked up when the Special came through. In a few cases speakers were taken to neighboring towns in automobiles. During the entire trip every speaker on the train gave practically the same Hessian fly talk. The entomologists and the agronomist of the college prepared the speech, copies of which were furnished not only to the speakers but also to all the railroad officials and publicity men who accompanied the train. The publicity men prepared beforehand all the articles to be used by the newspapers in the places where addresses were made. In other words, every address given and every newspaper article published had just one message and that was the seriousness of the infestation and what should be done to protect the crop of the next year. It is the opinion of the writer that much of the success of the Hessian fly train and the good accomplished were due to the fact that all departments and all persons concerned were together, and that nothing was said or done but what met with the approval and recommendation of every one. The fact that the very methods advocated for the control of the fly were in keeping with the very methods recommended by the Agronomy Department and which the progressive and successful wheat growers knew should be practiced for maximum yields, appealed to the better judgment of even the most skeptical ones. The time allowed for each stop was about forty minutes. The speakers usually arranged for a few minutes’ discussion before closing the meeting. Specimen cases, charts, and illustrated material were used in nearly all lectures. As the men left the lecture cars or the waiting room they were given circulars on the Hessian fly and the preparation of the seed bed for wheat. The Hessian fly circular was printed primarily for the occasion. It was simply a timely article emphasizing the methods of control and closing with a brief life history of the fly.

In nearly all cases large crowds met the Hessian Fly Special and the total attendance for the week was approximately seven thousand.[3]

In the early days of the tuberculosis movement cars were extensively used in traveling health campaigns. A pioneer in carrying the message of health over a state on exhibit trains was Dr. Oscar Dowling, President of the Louisiana State Board of Health. His health train made its initial trip in 1910 and with many changes since that time has continued in service. After the first tours, made with cars loaned by the railroad, had demonstrated the popularity of the train, the State Board of Health purchased two coaches. One was fitted up as an inspection car with a part of it given over to living and office quarters, and the other as an educational exhibit car, containing displays of models, charts, and laboratory specimens. Later, two more cars were purchased for living quarters and the inspection car was turned into a laboratory car.

A practical application of the lessons taught on the tour was made by inspectors who accompanied the train. In each place visited they inspected and scored buildings in which the sanitary conditions imperilled public health, the reports of their findings being given publicity while the train was in town. This train attracted the attention of health workers in other states and has made a number of trips outside of Louisiana in response to their requests.

The Board of Health of Kansas has used a Pullman car to carry exhibits on child welfare, tuberculosis, and other health topics. A woman physician and public health nurses traveled with the car and gave health talks and explained exhibits. Sixty-nine cities and towns were visited, the stops varying from one to four days. The purpose was chiefly educational, but an attempt was made to discuss their health problems with individuals.