Evening star., 1895-09-13
AFFAIRS IN GEORGETOWN
The Trouble Among West Washington
Electric Lights
Annual Meeting of the Womnn's
Christian Temperance Union and
Other Local Notes.

The representatives of the purchasers of
the Potomac Light and Power Company
claim that their inability to operate the
plant successfully the past few nights has
been traced to a grounding of their wires.
They say that they were Intentionally
tampered with by certain members of the
mechanical department under the old man.
age1nent. Mr.. NJ. ]. O'Donnell, the general
manager for years, insists that there has
beea no grounding, but that the defect
Is with the new men. They have had no
experience with an illuminating electrical
plant, and were unable to master its in
tricacies Immediately, he says. To prevent
their regulations as electricians from be-
coming tarnished, he says, some one had
to be assailed. Their verbal assaults,
though, are indefinite The generating ma
chimes Of the company are extremely deli
cate, and the slightest variation in their
management works a wide effect. In the
setting Of the brushes, particularly an
unfamiliar man could instantly affect the
whole plant, and yet not be able to dis
cover the cause. On the sale of the plant
none of the men of the mechanical depart
ment were retained to break the new ones
in. Satisfactory terms could not be agreed
upon. The representatives of Messrs. Mil
Ter. Lieb and Crosby wanted them to re-
main only day or two until new men
coIld be obtained to take their places.
as conveniences, ard would consent to stay
only on a guarantee of salary for the
balance of the month. This was refused.
and they left the power house-manager,
engineer and firemanD This was last Sun
day night. New men were sent for. but
they were urable to start up. Manager
ODonnell was later urged to set the ma
chinery going, which he consented to do.
Saturday evening Mr.. O'Donnell and Mr.
]. Hite Miller, the latter representing the
owners. had some words respecting terms of
retention, Mr.. O'Donnelps successor. it
seems, not being ready as yet to take
charge The plant was tc be turned over
at midnight, and the old manager was told
that he was expected to stay until the new
company could fill his place.
He replied that he intended to sever his
connection at midnight, as retention terms
were not satisfactory. Mr. Miller, seeing
what hole the company would be placed
in, first tried persuasion, 1T is said, and then
commanded that he be obeyed. While he
stormed and commanded Mr.. O'Donnell lay
back in his office chair and laughed. Mr..
ODonnell says he kept his temper on ac-
count of the presence of Mrs. Miller, who
had accompanied her husband to the office.
He did not want place with the new COM
pany. as he is now in charge of the con-
struction Of an electrical plant at st. Eliz-
abeths Asylum. The old Potomac Light
Company's lineman is with him, and the
old engineer is now engaged at the Glen
Echo power house. Some Of the old men al
lege that Cheap labor" is the cause of the
froperation Of the plant under the new men.
They say the line has always been subject
ed to a slight ground in certain places
through the existence Of trees, through
which the wires run.
An evidence of inexperience, the old
men say, in the new is shown in the fact
that they allowed the bearings of the en-
gine TO burn out and the Babbitt metal to
melt, the very first time they were left
alcne with the machinery. This stopped
the engine for the night, and, as a conse-
quence consumers of electricity were thrown
in darkness. Mr.. H. T. Purdy, the new
superintendent of the Potomac Light and
acknowledged ability, and has had great
experience
Mr.. Purdy makes no direct charges
against any one. He is worn out with the
anxiety that has come with his new super
intendency and its worries consequent to
the importation. He has had but a few
hours sleep in six days.
Last night things ran smoothly. and con-
sumerS may now expect good service.
Annual Meeting.
The Georgetown auxiliary of the Wo-
mans Christian Temperance Union of the
District, Mrs NJ. E. Brown, president, held
its annual meeting at Cay Street Baptist
Church yesterday at 2 PM, Mrs. Isaac
Birch presiding at the organ. The meet
ing was opened with a scriptural reading
by Mrs. G. w. Mccullough, wife of Rev.
Mr.. Mccullough of the Tenleytown Church.
The election of officers resulted as fol-
lows: Mrs. M. E. Brown, president; Mrs.
Roberta Harner, first vice president; Mrs.
F. S. Beckham, second vice president; Mrs.
Isaac Birch, corresponding secretary; Mrs.
S. Buzzel. treasurer. Mrs Bremmerman
and Mrs. Brewton were elected delegates to
the annual meeting of the District w. c. T.
u, to be held in Foundry Church Septem-
Der 26 and "a Superintendents were elect
ed as follows: Mrs. Isaac Birch, Flower
Mission; Mrs. S. Buzzel mothers depart
ment; Mrs. A. E. Bennett literature; Miss
Sallie Braham, evanselistic department.
Good work for the temperance cause was
planned.
The Key Monument.
The association formed to father a move
nient to erect a national monument at
Frederick, Nd. at the grave of Francis
Scott Key, the author of the Star Span
gied Banner" who resided in Georgetown
most of his life, held an anniversary meet
ing last night at Frederick. 1t was report
ed that there was on hand toward the pro-
ject $2936.36. This money had come from
all parts of the country in varying amounts,
from schools, churches ard patriotic So
cieties. The interest in the monument is
new spreading substantially, AMI a big
fund is early expected. The monument will
be erected in Mt. Olivet cemetery.
An Excursion.
In order to build Up the fund used to help
their sick and bury their dead, the An
cient Daughters of Tabitha, No. 2. gave an
excursion yesterday to Rocky Point, down
the Potomac. Nearly 500 went, and the
affair was successful in all other ways.
The George Leary was the steamer taken
Music was provided by the National Mu-
sical Orchestra. The excursion arrange
ments were in charge of the following, to
whom its success is due. Mr. Eugene
Brown, general manager; Mr.. Thomas Col
bert, Mr.. Vim. Barnes, Miss Alberta Viii
son, Mr. Samuel Contee, Mr.. S. A. Tolson,
Mr.. G. Jackson, Mr.. John Young, Mrs
Cynthia Parker. Mr.. G. T. Minor, Mrs
Elizabeth Bowman, Mrs. Hannah Carter,
Mrs. Margaret Cole, Miss Maggie Mahoney,
Mrs Annie Coates, Miss Miriam Wilson,
Mrs. Jane Trusty, Mrs. Kate Brown and
Mrs Agnes James. The Ancient Daughters
is a society worthy Of the best support.
Its charitable work has been broad.