Smyrna times., 1917-01-24
FACTS ABOUT DAY CURRENT
Former SmYrnian Writes Some inter-
esting Facts Concerning Day Elec-
trio Current in CentreVille, Md.


the Town Commissioners Of this town,
and he has told me some facts that |
believe will prove interesting to you,
and to every citizen of Smyrna, and |
because am interested in the "old |
home town. l am sending you these
facts with the hope that they may |
prove useful in solving some of the |
problems which must be met in this |
day of advanced prizes along all lines.
You have been urging in your editor
ial columns the Inauguration nf Day
Electric Current, and your argument
is timely. This town, with a popu-
lation of several hundred less than
Smyrna has had cay current for some
time, and / am told from reliable
sources that there is hardly another
town of its size in this country that
can make such a boast. That current
is used for various business purposes,
such as heating, and vacuum clean
ing, and the newspapers of the town
use it for their presses, and job work.
The town is enabled TO 60 this because
they lately put in, at the cost of
$500, an engine using form of oil.
that might be termed "crude oil, 4"
although it is not quite so crude as
we would imagine from the general
use of that term. To run the plant
: here would cost the town, if they used
coal, over $1,000 per month, whereas
now their complete fuel bill is. at
, maximum, never over 5000 per month.
When the town used coal, the cost of
hauling, and an extra fireman for the
plant, must also be added to that coal
bill of $1,000. AS it is now, a tank
car of oil comes in at the station On
the noon train, and a connection is
. msde there, on siding. with a pipe
leading to a large storage tank at the
: power station. and in less than four
= hours the car is empty, simply by
;, gravity. and is ready to be- taken out
+, by the next freight train.
: Engine Includes Generator Also
t The price of the engine $500
e includes a generator also. and the
n engine is built on three unit system,
/ of so horsepower each, making total
IS of $50 horsepower, and what is
: especially to be noticed, is that each
Il unit of the engine may be run sep
e arately. That is to say. when the
current is light. as during the early
E morning hours. only one unit so
HIPS used, and the other units are
:. put in operation as the demand arises.
., 1t would seem to me that it would be
a good plan for the town fathers OF
II Smyrna to come over tn Centreville,
II and look into this matter, for it might
;" mean a great saving to the town il
l. case day current became imperative.
!, Garbage Collection and Clean Street:
IF We have another very good thing
Is here which it would be we'll fol
n. Smyrna to emulate. Twice each weel
le the town collects the garbage anC
of the ashes from every house, the only
ce requisite being that the receptaclei
al be placed on the curb TO enable tht
ar collectors to dump it readily into thei
nd wagon. This. as "an be readily seen
er does away with much of the dirt tha
n. will collect around every premises
where there is not some systematic
b. way of getting rid of such. In th
s. end, any town is more than paid fo
i'd the expense of carrying on this kin
u of thing.
w CongratulatorY Word About The Time
e. And l want to say word abont tn
s'l ''Times". have seen many paper
from "Dack home," in college an
other places, but do feel that n
DC town can boast of better paper tina
Smyrna. The neatness of the from
De page. the use of that page for new
that is interesting to all the towns
he people, and the exclusion of all tina
mt is not "neWs," in the sense of bein
I'm of, at least, general interest, is some
lal thing that one sees in few of whs
lte are called country papers,. l fee
nv quite justified in saying that ever
d. former Smyrnian looks forward to th
ro- coming of the "Times," as an even
Ia of real interest each week. hav
OF heard many express themselves in jus
me these same words, and l have ais
Id heard men who have left the damon
he State to live in our large cities, sa
nd that the ''Times" is the best pape
70. of its kind that they have ever seer
ale If Smyrna needs anything, it is Ell
'ed thusiasm, and general interest
en- things of the town and community
Sc. Hoping that Smyrna will not fall b
hind her sister towns adjacent to hel
and that she will be leader in h,
An. class, I am, very sincerely yours
- ]. Dirickson Cummins.
oil Move for Statewide Prohibition