Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1908-03-28


him. Later a vote would be takc1
In order that the council might know
the wishes of its constituents
The city engineer, whose training
and experience were limited to lanC
i surveying and setting the grades fol
the streets and sewers, felt that his
position required him to show that
he was not dazcd by all the technical
terms which had been used. Address
Ing the mayor, he said:
''Mr. Stckney has told us that the
capacity of this plant would be 1OC
kilowatts. would like to ask him
whether that is its maximum or its
minimum capacity" This question
was actually asked under the circum
! stances described; in fact, the main
points of the story are matter of
history in prairie city.
Stickney never cracked smile as
he replied: THE question is well put
A hundred kilowatts Is the normal
capacity, but the plant can carry the
overload for half an hour or so 4
twenty-five additional kilowatts."
While some other questions We're be
Ing asked by prominent citizens, anX-
ious to maintain their prestige, Molly
Zimmerman was whispering earnestly
to her brother Molly was high school
girl. who had been studying electricity
the winter before With few others.
she had gone over to Milldale to see
how this mysterious current was gen
Grated, and Graham, proud of his up to
date plant. had shown the little party
through it, explaining to them the var-
Gus pieces of machinery with which it
was filled. Molly's bright eyes had
noticed the hooded dynamo at one side
and it was in answer to her question
that he explained about the duplication
of parts for use in case of break
down. "And now we have seen the
whole plan," said Molly rs they We're
thanking Graham in the office.
"Oh. no." laughed he, only one part.
The other part is the one that wanderS
all over the town. Fights the streets,
carries the current to the stores and
houses and distributes the surplus pow
er to the factories"
And So as Stckney talked, he was
speaking to one auditor. at least, be-
fore whom there rose UP picture of
really up 10 date plant, and who was
bright enough to see the discrepancies
between his $4,000 outfit and what
was really needed to light her city.
Perhaps if it had been somebody
else's brother instead of her own who
was seated beside her, she might have
persuaded him to ask the questions
which she was too shy to ask for her
self. But Tom Zimmerman was more
intent upon listening TO what the prcs-
dent of the PleaSantville bank (whom
Stickney had primed on the subject Of
bonds was saying, than on the half au
dible whispers of his curly headed sis
ter.
Right behind them sat DIR. Grey, who
had known Molly all her life The doc
tor did not know anything about cleo
trio light plants, but he knew that Mol
ly had wise little head. and when he
overheard one of her urgent whispers,
he leaned forward and half playfully
asked:
Are you trying to get spokesman,
Molly?"
''Oh, DR.. Grey! Please ask him why
he has not said anything about trans
mission lines, and poles, and street
lamps, and meters, and what we would
do If the one dynamo should break
down.
Easy, easy, little girl" said the doc
tor Remember, | am in the infant
class for Molly taught that at Sunday
SCHOOL,, and tell me the story gently,
as to little child"
Molly blushed, but after few min
utes of whispering the doctor rose and
asked one by one, though hardly in
their logical order, the questions that
Molly had suggested.
The doctors first question, Does the
estimate include meters for CONNER
cial llghting?" was parried by the glib
answer:
"Oh, the customers would buy their
own meters"
"Yes, but how much would the me-
ters cost?"
The wrinkles overpowered the smile
on Hiram Stickney's face, as he real
lied by the doctors quiet way that he
was no longer dealing with make be-
lieve questions, but with the real desire
for knowledge of a man who was ac-
customed to look beneath the surface
of things. Admission after admission
was forced from him, until the truth
stood revealed that his complete
plant was only generating plant,
with no provision for distribution, and
q poorly equipped one at that: He was
q game fighter, however, and did not
leave town until after the next council
meeting, when franchise and contract
were both voted without dissent.
He had done the town one service,
however, for the franchise included a
prOviso that the name of the company
should be changed to the Mllldale and
Pleasantville Electric Light company.
None of Stickney's unfavorable predic-
tions was fulfilled, for Pleasantville
has grown at the expense of some of
its rivals who had no Molly thinner
man to save them from smooth con
tract agents and whose tax rates have
grown faster than their industries.
Molly's share In the affair was soon
generally known, for DR.. Grey was
proud of the fact that the quick wit of
one of "hs girls" had been of such
service to the city, and two years aft
erward, when Molly became Mrs. Hen
ry Graham, the present that she priced