by D M Barrett
“We are getting some serious resistance to the show by a couple of board members relative to this Midnight Rambler performance,” Sheriff Hankins said.
“The Midnight Rambler is the last show on the last night of the fair. It gets more extreme than the weeknight shows. Since it’s the last performance before the amusement company leaves for its next location, we tend to ignore that last show,” Sheriff Walker replied.
“I’ll be your host tonight. I’ve already told Mr. Baxter that the preacher and you will be here to review the midway and attend the burlesque show,” Sheriff Walker said as he handed the men their complimentary tickets.
Sheriff Hankins and the preacher agreed to meet the Rhea County sheriff at the main gate of the fairgrounds at 6:00 pm that evening. The men excused themselves and headed to a local café for a late lunch.
As they ate their meal, Sheriff Hankins asked, “So what do you think so far preacher?”
“I haven’t been surprised by anything that I’ve heard,” the preacher responded.
“I guess the jury’s out till you see the midway and that red-hot Midnight Rambler,” the sheriff said with a large smile.
“Let’s hope it isn’t too hot,” the preacher cautioned.
At promptly 6:00 pm the men arrived at the fairgrounds main gate. The Rhea County sheriff was there to greet them. The men handed their complimentary tickets to the gatekeeper and walked into the fairgrounds.
“Preacher, after you’ve toured the midway, listened to the barker, and reviewed the outdoor stage line up of the coochie girls, I have arranged for you to meet Mr. Floyd Baxter. He is very anxious to thank you for giving him the opportunity to host the Ferguson Fair,” Sheriff Walker said.
“As Sheriff Hankins said the last time we played cards, let’s see what you got,” the preacher replied.
The midway was filled with games of skill and chance such as ball toss, ring toss, sharpshooting, and penny pitching. There were several sideshows or attractions including an oddity show featuring a bearded lady, an illustrated or tattooed man, midgets, giants and persons with deformities, etc.
There were longer sideshows that featured magic tricks, daredevil stunts, and marksmanship exhibitions. There was even a show that exhibited military equipment, uniforms, and weaponry from the war.
However, no sideshow or attraction garnered the attention of the hoochie coochie show which was billed as “The Red-Hot Revue.” Male customers stood a couple dozen deep to pay their dime to see the half hour show.
“Do they get their money’s worth for a dime?” the preacher asked Sheriff Walker.
“And then some!” Sheriff Walker said with a laugh.
“Is it this crowded for the show during the week?” Sheriff Hankins inquired.
“They run ten shows a night. Almost every show is sold out. A lot of these men couldn’t get into the previous show, so they bought a ticket for the next available seat,” Sheriff Walker explained.
“How much is admission to the Midnight Rambler?” the preacher asked.
“It’s an hour long show from 11:00 pm till midnight. The admission price is a quarter,” the Rhea County sheriff said.
“That’ll buy a lot of groceries at Jack Wright’s store,” the preacher remarked to Sheriff Hankins.
“Jack ain’t got what these folks are selling,” Sheriff Hankins said as both lawmen broke into a hearty laugh.
“Let's get closer. We can hear the barker and catch a look at the ladies when they show up on the outdoor stage,” Sheriff Walker suggested.
“Here it is! Red hot hoochie coochie! It’s red hot and still heating – just the way you like it,” the hoochie coochie man exclaimed.
“You can hear them talk. You can see them wiggle and jiggle. You can watch them crawl on their bellies like a reptile. . . . If you’re under 16 you won’t understand it and if you’re over 60 you can’t stand it,” the barker continued.
“Sounds like you two are approaching the upper limit,” the preacher said pointing at the two sheriffs.
The hoochie coochie barker continued, “These ladies are so fine that we’ve even got a preacher here ready to say grace over them!”
The crowd laughed and applauded while the preacher stood there in stoic fashion. The hoochie coochie man’s observation got a belly laugh out of the two sheriffs.
“What do you think, preacher?” Sheriff Walker asked fighting back laughter.
“I’d say the man’s a pretty decent comedian,” the preacher said with a slight smile.
At that moment four hoochie coochie girls appeared on the outdoor stage in rather brief but ornate costumes. The preacher thought to himself that She Mammy Martin should design and sell costumes to all the carnival amusement companies for their hoochie coochie girls.
The preacher noticed that one rather buxom brunette was clad in a burgundy oriental-style belly dancer costume. It was quite sheer. In fact, cheese cloth would have covered more of her upper body. The sheer pants were less sheer than the top and provided enough coverage for a quick display.
After about five minutes the girls exited the outdoor stage and returned to the hoochie coochie circus-style tent. The male crowd clapped and shouted for more.
The barker quickly started again, “These girls have got what you want to see and they’re willing to show it! If you buy a ticket to our Midnight Rambler for only a quarter, you can see the eight wonders of the world.”
“Doesn’t he mean the eighth wonder of the world?” the preacher inquired.
“No, he’s referring to the eight wonderful bare breasts you’ll get to see,” Sheriff Walker explained.
“Are we ready to see Mr. Floyd Baxter?” Sheriff Hankins asked.
Before Sheriff Walker replied, the preacher announced, “We are more than ready.”
The trio walked toward the small administration trailer. They were greeted by one of Mr. Baxter’s assistants and invited inside.
“I am very excited that you’ve come to see our midway,” Mr. Baxter said.
“It was impressive,” the preacher replied.
“I understand that you’ve encountered some resistance on the fair board regarding our hoochie coochie show,” Mr. Baxter remarked.
“We’ve seen the outside of the show and the sampler, I suppose,” the preacher said.
“What’s the verdict?” the carnival owner asked.
“Without seeing the final show tonight, let me make a couple recommendations: First, if you could tone down that barker to a less graphic and suggestive content. It would be very helpful.
Secondly, the outside costumes were within our community standards for fair week. However, one girl was clad in an almost transparent top that was quite provocative. If she could put on a band, tube, bra, or something to leave things to imagination while outside it would create less controversy,” the preacher reported.
“Even though it will water down the show, I’ll work with the hoochie coochie barker and tell the girl to wear the matching bra at Ferguson,” Mr. Baxter replied in agreement.
“I haven’t seen the Midnight Rambler, but it has been reported to be extremely ribald,” the preacher said flatly.
“Yes, it is provocative and exhibits more skin. But, it’s the top show of the week. The Midnight Rambler generates more cash than all the other weeknight shows except Friday’s shows,” Mr. Baxter explained.
“If we determine that the show is just too licentious for Ferguson, would you be willing to omit the Midnight Rambler,” the preacher asked.
“No. I am not willing to omit our top draw sideshow and undercut the revenue from our number one attraction,” the carnival owner said bluntly.
“What would be our alternative?” the preacher inquired.
“We’ll sue the fair board and the Ferguson Merchants’ Association for breach of contract,” Mr. Baxter said.
“I find that understandable but rather harsh,” the preacher replied.
“This was laid out in the contract. If you didn’t
like the coochie show, why did you vote to approve the contract?” Mr. Baxter queried.
“I am the Fair Board Chairman. I only vote in the event of a tie. The board approved the contract by a 4-0 margin,” the preacher explained.
“It appears you’re off the hook, preacher,” the carnival owner opined.
“I’m not sure everyone would see it your way,” the preacher replied with a smile.
“Let’s grab some food and then head over to the show,” Sheriff Hankins suggested.
“Preacher, it’s only one show at the end of the fair,” Mr. Baxter said earnestly.
“I’ll watch the show tonight. I will explain your position to the fair board and merchants,” the preacher promised.
After eating some carnival food, the trio made their way to the sideshow. Having been told that these were VIP guests, the barker ushered them through the tent’s side door and placed them at the base of the small stage. Within a few minutes the rest of the male patrons were admitted and started taking places in the tent.
In order to make more space, the folding chairs had been removed and the tent’s capacity of 150 was quickly reached. The preacher noticed a few in the audience that were under the age of 16 and quite a few more that well exceeded the age of 60.
The music began and each of the four hoochie coochie girls made their way onto the small stage. They consisted of two blonds, one redhead, and the buxom brunette. In fact, all the women were very beautiful and quite well endowed.
The women were clad in ornate costumes different in design, color, and coverage from the outdoor costumes. In fact there was little left to one’s imagination.
Things went well until the last half of the show. The women systematically began to bare their breasts and started the wiggle and jiggle like the barker had promised.
After a few minutes, the girls actually showed what the patrons paid a quarter to see. The girls removed their bottom garments and began to fling them into the crowd. One set landed atop Sheriff Walker’s bald head. Sheriff Hankins wrapped his right arm around the preacher and shielded the preacher’s eyes with his left hand.
“I’ve seen a naked woman before,” the preacher said with a slight protest.
“It’s good that you know what one looks like. You won’t need to see these four,” Sheriff Hankins said as he continued to shield the preacher’s view.
The show ended abruptly, and the show girls retreated behind a large curtain. The cheers, shouts, and whistles were so loud and continuous that the hoochie coochie girls performed a nude encore to a short middle eastern tune that Little Egypt used at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair.
The two sheriffs hustled the preacher out of the hoochie coochie show during the encore performance. He offered no resistance.
Hardly anything was said on the dark ride in the early Sunday morning hours from Dayton to Ferguson. The preacher knew that he was on tap for the Community Church service that began at 10:00 am.
“What did you think?” Sheriff Hankins asked timidly.
“It’s everything that Miss Rosie said it was and more,” the preacher said.
“How are you going to vote?” Sheriff Hankins inquired.
“I’m present,” the preacher responded.
“What do you mean?” the sheriff queried.
“The Fair Board voted 4-0 in favor of the contract that spelled out the midway items including the hoochie coochie show. I’m not casting a vote that puts the city merchants and the fair board in protracted litigation. With a deadlocked board the original approval stands,” the preacher explained.
“Oh my!” the sheriff exclaimed.
* * *
Did the Midnight Rambler happen? Was there conflict and controversy in Ferguson? What happened at the 1939 Ferguson Fair?
At about 10:00 pm on Saturday night, a light rain began and intensified for the next hour. As the time approached 10:30 pm a full-blown severe thunderstorm, replete with lightning and small hailstones, overtook Ferguson. The surface winds lifted the tent from the ground and cast it into the nearby woods.
When The Mountain Gazette editor, Louis Barrett, penned his post-fair edition, he asked the preacher, “So what is your opinion about the storm and its consequences to the last night of the fair?”
The preacher was quoted as saying, “It appears the Lord felt that Ferguson wasn’t ready for the Midnight Rambler this year.”
18. Legacy
As the preacher peeked out of the meetinghouse window, he saw a hoary frost covering the ground. This blanket of white was set against a backdrop of leaves that had turned from their normal shades of green into brilliant red, orange, and brown bouquets.
Given the briskness in the November air, the preacher took his time concluding morning prayers and scripture study before making the trek across the road from the Community Church to Discount Grocery.
“Preacher, I’m going to hire you a secretary,” Jack Wright said as the pastor entered the store.
“Why would that be?” the preacher asked.
“I take so many messages for you and handle so much foot traffic for people looking for you that I can hardly find time to stock these shelves,” Jack Wright replied.
“And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men,” the preacher instructed.
“Sounds like I just need to keep being your part time secretary,” Jack Wright said with a sigh.
“So what are the urgent messages for today?” the preacher asked.
“Miss Patricia Stoner stopped by the store early on her way to the school. She asked for you to come to the school at lunchtime to meet two exceptional students,” the shopkeeper explained.
“Do you know anything about these students?” the preacher inquired.
“There is gold, and a multitude of rubies: but the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel,” the storekeeper said quoting from Proverbs.
“In other words, you don’t know, and I should get the story from Miss Stoner,” the preacher said.
“I thought I had you on that one,” Jack Wright said with a chuckle.
* * *
When Miss Stoner saw the preacher at the back of her classroom, she announced to her students that it was time for lunch. She motioned for two of her older students, Amy Foster and Edwin James, to remain seated.
“Jack Wright said that I had been summoned to meet two very exceptional students today,” the preacher remarked.
“I wanted to introduce you to Ferguson School’s co-valedictorians, Amy Foster and Edwin James,” Miss Stoner explained.
“Now that achievement is impressive. It’s obvious that there has been some keen academic competition for the past four years,” the preacher replied.
“Both of these students have perfect grades for their four years of high school. Amy has been accepted at Virginia Commonwealth University in art. Edwin has been accepted by Georgia Institute Of Technology to study architecture,” Miss Stoner said.
“That’s just incredible. We are all very proud of your accomplishments,” the preacher said.
“Both of you are excused for lunch. I need to stay and speak further with Brother Mann,” the teacher instructed.
“Did they receive academic scholarships? How will their families afford the tuition, books, and living expenses?” the preacher inquired.
“It’s worse than you think. These are out of state schools. There were no scholarships available and the tuition is almost double for out of state students,” the teacher lamented.
“What’s your estimate of what it would take per year to educate them?” the preacher queried.
“All things considered it will be about $500 per year per student,” Miss Stoner responded.
“What do you see as my role in this endeavor?” the preacher asked.
“Jehovah Jireh! It’s what Miss Rosie said you told her when she was in dire straits,” Miss Stoner responded confidently.
“It literally means ‘The Lord will provide’” the preacher sai
d.
“There’s no doubt that this is a lot of money. We need a scholarship fund for these two students and for at least one student annually at this school,” the teacher explained.
“That’s a tall order, Sister Stoner. It’s a mighty tall mountain to climb in this depression,” the preacher replied.
“Behold, the Lord’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save, neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear,” Miss Stoner responded.
He nodded affirmatively as he turned and made his way to the schoolhouse door. He thought to himself that apparently folks were paying attention to his Sunday sermons.
Seeing the preacher leaving the school, Sheriff Hankins slowed his patrol car and asked the preacher if he needed a ride. The preacher nodded, the patrol car stopped, and the preacher took a seat on the front passenger side.
“You look a little perplexed, preacher. Did Miss Stoner introduce you to her personal board of education?” the sheriff asked with a chuckle.
“It’s been a long time since I got a spanking, but she might as well have used a ruler on me today,” the preacher said with a smile.
“What’s the situation?” Sheriff Hankins asked.
“She has two brilliant students that deserve to attend college. One wants to be an artist and the other an architect. It will cost about $1000 a year for four years to educate them. Additionally, she needs at least $500 every year for a scholarship for the school’s valedictorian,” the preacher explained.
“To keep that kind of money you’d need to get heavy into the wine and ‘shine business,” Sheriff Hankins replied.
“I’m thinking about a perpetual scholarship fund for Ferguson,” the preacher said.
“What does that mean?” the sheriff asked.
“We need to raise enough money so that the interest on the scholarship fund will pay for future scholarships,” the preacher explained.
