<PAGE>
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
SCHEDULE 13G/A
Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
(Amendment No. 14)*
----
FALL RIVER GAS COMPANY
---------------------------------------
(Name of Issuer)
COMMON STOCK $0.83 1/3 par value
---------------------------------------
(Title of Class of Securities)
306279 10 0
----------------------
(CUSIP Number)
*The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities, and
for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter the
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.
The information required in the remainder of this cover page shall not be deemed
to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of the Act
but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see the
Notes).
<PAGE>
13G
________________________________________________________________________________
1 NAME OF REPORTING PERSON
S.S. or I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON
Ronald J. Ferris
###-##-####
________________________________________________________________________________
2 CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP*
(a) [ ]
(b) [ ]
________________________________________________________________________________
3 SEC USE ONLY
________________________________________________________________________________
4 CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION
U.S.A.
________________________________________________________________________________
5 SOLE VOTING POWER
40,697 shares: 40,697 shares owned directly and of record
________________________________________________________________________________
6 SHARED VOTING POWER 104,362 shares:
9,852 shares owned jointly
53,594 shares as co-trustee of a pension plan and trust
36,990 shares as President of a corporation
3,926 shares held in two trusts for the children of the undersigned
________________________________________________________________________________
7 SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER
40,697 shares: 40,697 shares owned directly and of record
________________________________________________________________________________
8 SHARES DISPOSITIVE POWER 104,362 shares:
9,852 shares owned jointly
53,594 shares as co-trustee of a pension plan and trust
36,990 shares as President of a corporation
3,926 shares held in two trusts for the children of the undersigned
________________________________________________________________________________
9 AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON
145,059 (includes shares jointly owned with three other persons, shares
owned by a corporation, shares held in two trusts for the children of the
undersigned and shares held in a pension plan trust)
________________________________________________________________________________
10 CHECK IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (9) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES*
________________________________________________________________________________
11 PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW 9
8.1%
________________________________________________________________________________
12 TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON*
IN
2
<PAGE>
SCHEDULE 13G
Item 1(a) Name of Issuer.
Fall River Gas Company
Item 1(b) Address of Issuer's principal Executive Office.
155 North Main Street
Fall River, Massachusetts 02722
Item 2(a) Name of person Filing.
Ronald J. Ferris
Item 2(b) Address of Principal Business Office.
75 Grand Army Highway
Swansea, Massachusetts 02777
Item 2(c) Citizenship.
U.S.A.
Item 2(d) Title of Class of Securities.
Common Stock, $0.83 1/3 par value
Item 2(e) CUSIP Number.
306279 10 0
Item 3
Inapplicable
Item 4
(a) Amount Beneficially Owned*
145,059 shares - includes 40,697 shares owned directly and of
record, 9,852 owned jointly with three other persons, 36,990
owned beneficially as President of a corporation, 3,926 shares
held in two trusts for the children of the undersigned and 53,594
owned beneficially as trustee of a pension plan and trust.
(b) Percent of Class:
8.1% (2.8% with respect to shares owned directly and of record or
jointly with another person; 5.3% with respect to sole or shared
voting and investment power as corporate officer or as trustee.)
3
<PAGE>
(c) Number of Shares as to which Such Person Has:
(i) sole power to vote or to direct the vote
40,697 shares - owned directly and of record
(ii) shared power to vote or to direct the vote
104,632 shares (as a joint owner of 9,852 shares, as
co-trustee of a pension plan and trust which holds 53,594
and as President of a corporation 36,990 shares). Also
includes 3,926 shares held in two trusts for the children of
the undersigned.
(iii) sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition of
40,697 shares - owned directly and of record
(iv) shared power to dispose or to direct the disposition of
104,632 shares (as a joint owner of 9,852 shares, as
co-trustee of a pension plan and trust which holds 53,594
and as President of a corporation 36,990 shares). Also
includes 3,926 shares held in two trusts for the children of
the undersigned.
*Disclaimer: The filing of this Schedule 13G shall not be construed as an
admission that the undersigned is for the purposes of
Section 13(d) or 13(g) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934, as amended, the beneficial owner of any securities
owned by any corporation of which he is an officer, or by
any trust, as set forth in this schedule.
Item 5 Ownership of Five Percent or Less of a Class.
Inapplicable
Item 6 Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another Person.
The beneficiaries of the pension plan and trusts mentioned above have
contingent rights to receive dividends from, or the proceeds from the sale of,
shares held by such trusts.
Item 7 Identification and Classification of the Subsidiary Which Acquired the
Security Being Reported on By the Parent Holding Company.
Inapplicable
Item 8 Identification and Classification of Members of the Group.
Inapplicable
Item 9 Notice of Dissolution of Group.
Inapplicable
Item 10 Certification.
Inapplicable
4
<PAGE>
Signature
After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I
certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and
correct.
Date: January 31, 1998
Signature: /s/Ronald J. Ferris
Name: Ronald J. Ferris
NOTE: The stockholding figures in this filing reflect the two-for-one split of
the Issuer's Common Stock approved by the Issuer's Stockholders on September 21,
1993 and effective December 31, 1993.
5
