<ARTICLE>            UT
<LEGEND>             This schedule contains summary financial information
                     extracted from the Company's Consolidated Condensed
                     Balance Sheets and related Consolidated Condensed
                     Statements of Net Earnings Available to Common
                     Shareholders for the period ended September 30, 1995 and
                     is qualified in its entirety by reference to such
                     financial statements.
<MULTIPLIER>         1,000
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>    DEC-31-1995
<PERIOD-END>         SEP-30-1995
<PERIOD-TYPE>        9-MOS
<BOOK-VALUE>         PER-BOOK
       
                                           
<TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT>                      227,118
<OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST>                      3,253
<TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS>                          23,273
<TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES>                        13,642
<OTHER-ASSETS>                                       0
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                 267,286
<COMMON>                                         9,098
<CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN>                       70,400
<RETAINED-EARNINGS>                              6,424
<TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ>                  85,922
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                            7,200
<PREFERRED>                                          0
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET>                           100,000
<SHORT-TERM-NOTES>                              19,001
<LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE>                            0
<COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS>                       0
<LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT>                    5,000
<PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT>                            0
<CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS>                          0
<LEASES-CURRENT>                                     0
<OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB>                  50,163
<TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB>                  267,286
<GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE>                      125,837
<INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE>                             1,842
<OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                     114,305
<TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES>                     116,147
<OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS>                          9,690
<OTHER-INCOME-NET>                                 384
<INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN>                  10,074
<TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE>                         7,541
<NET-INCOME>                                     2,533
<PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                        408
<EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM>                    2,125
<COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS>                         6,507 <F1>
<TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS>                            0
<CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS>                          19,079
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                         .24
<EPS-DILUTED>                                         .24
<FN>
<F1> Amount represents total common stock dividends declared.  This amounts
differs from the $6,144 shown on the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows,
which is net of reinvested dividends of $771, and includes $408 of preferred
dividends.
</FN>