<ARTICLE> UT <LEGEND> THIS SCHEDULE CONTAINS SUMMARY FINANICAL INFORMATION EXTRACTED FROM THE BALANCE STEET, INCOME STATEMENT AND CASH FLOW STATEMENT FOR THE NINE MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 1996 AND IS QUALIFIED IN ITS ENTIRETY BY REFERENCE TO SUCH NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED CONDENSED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS APPEARING ON PAGE 5 OF FORM 10-Q FOR NINE MONTHS ENDED JUNE 30, 1996. </LEGEND> <MULTIPLIER> 1 <PERIOD-TYPE> 9-MOS <FISCAL-YEAR-END> SEP-30-1996 <PERIOD-START> OCT-01-1996 <PERIOD-END> JUN-30-1996 <BOOK-VALUE> PER-BOOK <TOTAL-NET-UTILITY-PLANT> 37,560,800 <OTHER-PROPERTY-AND-INVEST> 3,096,449 <TOTAL-CURRENT-ASSETS> 7,223,308 <TOTAL-DEFERRED-CHARGES> 2,081,287 <OTHER-ASSETS> 0 <TOTAL-ASSETS> 49,961,844 <COMMON> 1,834,445 <CAPITAL-SURPLUS-PAID-IN> 1,356,043 <RETAINED-EARNINGS> 11,667,062 <TOTAL-COMMON-STOCKHOLDERS-EQ> 14,857,550 <PREFERRED-MANDATORY> 0 <PREFERRED> 0 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-NET> 6,500,000 <SHORT-TERM-NOTES> 18,100,000 <LONG-TERM-NOTES-PAYABLE> 0 <COMMERCIAL-PAPER-OBLIGATIONS> 0 <LONG-TERM-DEBT-CURRENT-PORT> 0 <PREFERRED-STOCK-CURRENT> 0 <CAPITAL-LEASE-OBLIGATIONS> 0 <LEASES-CURRENT> 0 <OTHER-ITEMS-CAPITAL-AND-LIAB> 10,504,294 <TOT-CAPITALIZATION-AND-LIAB> 49,961,844 <GROSS-OPERATING-REVENUE> 44,140,731 <INCOME-TAX-EXPENSE> 1,832,204 <OTHER-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 39,795,996 <TOTAL-OPERATING-EXPENSES> 41,628,200 <OPERATING-INCOME-LOSS> 2,512,531 <OTHER-INCOME-NET> 548,868 <INCOME-BEFORE-INTEREST-EXPEN> 3,061,399 <TOTAL-INTEREST-EXPENSE> 1,261,607 <NET-INCOME> 1,799,792 <PREFERRED-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 0 <EARNINGS-AVAILABLE-FOR-COMM> 7,292,487 <COMMON-STOCK-DIVIDENDS> 0 <TOTAL-INTEREST-ON-BONDS> 0 <CASH-FLOW-OPERATIONS> 2,738,695 <EPS-PRIMARY> 1.01 <EPS-DILUTED> 1.01