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[Junior, too!]

If you have a chance to visit a flea market, quick stop, bait shop, or tourist trap in the Lake of the Ozarks, Truman Lake area this month, look for the June edition of the MISSOURI CHIGGER Magazine (which is based in the little town of Lowry City) for an article I wrote called "Last Ride on Rube Dugan's Diving Bell." The piece is a short history of the ride. If you find a copy of the CHIGGER, I hope you enjoy the article.

[Old Guy]

Aw Junior. You gee,d when you should a awed boy.last bell, Jace Land dumped a quart of blue lake dye into the water holding tank. When junior went to slap hos hand down over the pipe, the water turned black. Congrats on the arrival.

[Junior, too!]

I was only on park for a few weeks in August, 1984. I was not aware Jace was doing anything at SDC at that time. Was he playing Junior, or just coming over to start trouble, HA!

[Old Guy]

The latter of course. The same year Bruce invited us for a park wide shootout using the street show guns. I was taken out in a Buch Casidy hail of bullets on top of the ice cream parlour. Couldn't get away with anything like that now.

[Junior, too!]

Ah, to be young and have no responsibilty again....change in my pockets, a slim figure, dark hair, and buddies to get into mischief with! To those under 30 and single, enjoy it while you can. Ha!

[History Buff]

Junior, I'm doing some shallow research for myself.  Can you tell me how many juniors would have worked the diving bell at one time, and how many would have been female?  Were the girls called Ruby, or did they also go by Junior?

Finally, according to the script, the juniors were nephews/nieces of Rube, the offspring of his sister, correct?  Is there something fishy here since they still bore the Dugan name?

[Junior, too!]

In the first few years the attraction operated, on average a summer crew would have numbered about a dozen. That would have been 77 thru about 81. The last few years, they cut the number to around eight to ten guys. Only males worked full time at the attraction, because the recorded track in the capsules referred to "Junior" only. The females that worked the ride simply were brought in from other attractions to work crowd control on the wait line, so all the Juniors could be free to take people on rides during peak capacity periods. We called the gals "Ruby" as a play on Rube.
When we Juniors worked the line, we would holler at each other, calling each other "cousin" or Junior". When guests asked why all of us were named Junior, we used a line that I think Terry Sanders came up with, "we have a large family with a small imagination." At peak capacity times part time Juniors were brought in from other attractions, usually the train, FITH, and saloon crews, but sometimes other locations. My first year playing Junior was in 1979. I was actually full time at the float trip, but I went to Rube's Ride when needed, which was only about 4 times in the late fall, autumn period. I hope that answers your question. If you want more, just ask.  By the way, don't really know about why Junior had the Dugan name, I don't think us guys working there thought about that issue...we were having too much fun on the park. I am like an elephant, I don't forget. Side note:  did you know why the diving bell was REALLY replaced? The ride, because of the cutting edge technology and computers used there, along with the need to operate with a big work crew, made it very expensive to operate. It was cheaper at the time to retrofit the building for Lost River. However, on peak attendece days I notice they have a big crew there, too!

[History Buff]

Thanks for answering the questions.

In reading the script, I noticed that Rube said, referring to Junior, that he didn't know why his sister had a boy (or something like that).  I tried to put that together, but wasn't able to come up with an explanation.  I doubt anybody even thought about it.  I had always imagined that Junior was Rube's son.

Of course, this is the Ozarks we're talking about, right?  What happens in the Hills stays in the Hills.

[Junior, too!]

The line you are referring to in the script is Rube commenting on a bumbling move/action by Junior. Rube says "I don't know why my sister had a boy when she needed a hog!" It always got a pretty good laugh. My response to the barb as a clueless Junior was,  "just lucky, I guess!" It also got a good laugh.

[Junior, too!]

If it has been a while since you viewed my Flickr site, check it out again for a few new diving bell and Hee Haw Theater related photo.    http://www.flickr.com/photos/juniordugan.   

[mhguy77]

Thanks for the pictures Junior.  I remember the look of the lake during the Diving bell era.  I might say I thought it was more picturesque.  I also couldn't help but notice the Uncle Joes picture.  I had to enlarge that to make sure I was right about what I was looking at.  Miss that place.  Expensive as I remember but very good.

[Preachin_Bill]

Ah, Uncle Joes. 

Good pics as always Junior.

[Junior, too!]

Wanted to try and add some photos here. Never have done this. Some diving bell photos. Deleslie Koogler as Junior, about 1979.

[Junior, too!]

Noel Green played Rube at Geyser Gulch in the 2000 season.

[Junior, too!]

Darren Hustead as Junior in 1979.