The Muskogee cimeter. [volume] (Muskogee, Indian Territory, Okla.) 1901-19??, 1909-07-16

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IN the hail were helping out tn. tGne
perature of an August nisht-the may.
or rose again and stated that althouIA
Mr. Stickney had covered the ground
very thoroughly, an opportunity would
be given to any citizens to question
him. Later a vote would be taken
In order that the council might know
the wishes of Its constituents.
The city engineer, whose training
and experience were limited to land
surveying and setting the grades for
the streets and sewers, felt that his
position required him to show that
he was not dazed by oil the technical
terms which had been used. Address.
ing the mayor, he said:
"Mr. Stickney has told us that the
capacity OF this plant would be 100
kilowatts. would like to ask him
whether that Is Its maximum or its
minimum capacity" This question
was actually asked under the clrcum.
stances described; In fact, the main
points of the story are ina tier Of
history in prairie city.l
:tckTey never cracked a smile as
he replied: The question IL well put
A hl ndred kilowatts Is the normal
capacity. but the plant can carry the
overload for half an hour or so Of
twenty-li five additional kilowatts."
While some other questions were be-
ing asked by prominent citizens, anx.
ious to maintain their prestige. Molly
Zimmerman was whispering earnestly
10 her brother. Molly was high school
girl. who had been studying electricity
the winter before With a 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 1t. explaining to them the vari-
Gus pieces of machinery with which 1t
was filled AIolly's bright eyes had
noticed the hooded dynamo ut one side.
and ii was in answer to her question
that he explained about the duplication
OF parts for use In case or break
down "And now we have seen the
whole plan" said Molly as they were
thanking Graham in the Office.
"Oh, no." laughed he, "only one part.
The other part Is the one that wanders
all over the town, lights the streets,
carries the current to the stores and
houses and distributes the surplus pow
or to the factories"
And so, as Stickney talked. he was
speaking ia one auditor, Mt least be-
fore whom there rose up picture OF q
really up to date plant, and who was
l..f,r oh 20. hn ne N
between his $4,000 outfit and what
was really needed to light her city.
Perhaps If IL had been somebody
eses brother instead of her own who
waSseated beside her. she might have
per- aded him to ask the questions
VIII she was too shy to ask for her
self. but Tom Zimmerman was more
intent upon listening to what the presi-
dent of the Pleasantville bank (whom
stickney had primed on the subject Of
bonds) was saying. than on the half au-
able whispers Of his curly headed dc.
ter.
Right behind them sat DR.. Grey, who
had known Molly all her life. The doc
tor did not know anything about cleo
tric 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,
Mollyg"
"Oh, DIR. 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 0or Molly taught that at Sunday
school, and tell me the story gently,
rs to little child"
Molly blushed, but after q 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 lighting" was parried by the GLIB
answer:
"Oh, the customers would buy their
own meters"
"Yes, but how much would the me-
tiers costI"
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-
leye questions, but with the real desire
for knowledge of man who was ac-
eustomed 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 n generating plant.
with no provision for distribution, and
poorly equipped one ut that. He was
game fighter. however, and did not
leave town until after the next council
meeting, when franchise and contract
were both voted without dissent.
lie had done the town one service,
4, egss, he. fpas ,nl. Len