MIKE WEST

Hoo-wee, it’s Saturday and whatcha doin’ on the *&^%$ computer?

You should be helping ol' Hammerhaid clean out his garage. What the heck is he doing with 13 kitchen canister sets?

Well anyway, this taste of spring has him wondering whatever happened to The Goat Man?

Traveling up Shelbyville Pike ... or was it Highway 41 ... from some unknown point down south, The Goat Man would camp at a big, vacant field at what’s now the corner of Church and Broad Streets.

The spot’s the current site of United Grocery Outlet.

Often he would build a bonfire and place an old car tire on top so it would create a column of smoke that would summon the curious for miles around. From his wagon, he would produce a strange, tent-like structure and once camp was set up, he would preach the gospel and sell postcards of himself and his wagon.

To kids, he was a horrifying figure like something out of a scary dream, but he was real enough and even had a name, Charles "Ches" McCartney.

So do you remember The Goat Man? Or even better, do you have any pictures of him on his visits to Murfreesboro?

If you do, we’ll post them next Saturday.

T-h-h-h-hat’s r-r-r-r-r-r-r-right.

See ya Saturday, unless I spot you first....