Officials of the C. and F.W. Railroad discover the company is still running a short spur line between Hooterville and Pixley. C. and F.W. dispatches Homer Bedloe to find out what's going on and to shut it down. The spur line carries the Cannonball train, and is vital to the Shady Rest Hotel, run by Kate Bradley, her three grown daughters and Uncle Joe Carson. If Bedloe succeeds, Kate faces ruin. Written by Bill Koenig

A sneaky Kate organizes Charley and Floyd to take the traveling salesmen who spent the night at the hotel into Pixley before Homer Bedloe wakes up so that he himself can't make his way into Pixley to shut down the Cannonball. While Bedloe is stranded at the hotel, Kate plans to kill him with kindness so that he'll change his mind about shutting down the Cannonball. She has to keep him at the Shady Rest long enough to convince him that the Cannonball is an integral part of the valley's life. As long as Bedloe isn't convinced, the girls and Uncle Joe have to help Kate keep him stranded at the hotel, which also means not having the Cannonball stop on its return trip to Hooterville. Failing all else, Kate thinks she has another scheme involving Sam, the Hooterville Jack of all professions, to scare Bedloe into changing his mind. Written by Huggo

Despite Kate being able to convince Homer Bedloe not to scrap the Cannonball, she isn't sure if Bedloe has done something behind their backs to scrap the train anyway. He hasn't, but the C and FW's president, Norman Curtis, who is known to be more ruthless than Bedloe, still has scrapping the Cannonball on his mind. His plans are to connect the Hooterville branch line to the main line so that they can cut down time on an existing express route which would still not serve Hooterville Valley. As he feels Bedloe's mistake was being up front with the people of the valley, Curtis plans on doing the survey work for the necessary upgrade to the branch line on his own, incognito. Although Curtis doesn't intend on appearing as such, he comes across to Kate and others in the valley as a hobo after he takes a tumble in a field, ripping and dirtying his suit and losing his wallet in the process. Curtis ends up seeing a side of Hooterville he didn't expect, one where the Cannonball stops on the ... Written by Huggo

Norman Curtis, who has fallen in love with life at the Shady Rest, is still staying there for free without Kate yet knowing his true identity. He is even helping Kate and the girls set-up for the Jamboree Hoedown which will be held at the hotel. Both Norman's reputation with Kate and the Jamboree are threatened when Norman, who was given the reigns to operate the train by Charley and Floyd, ends up breaking the throttle. The train can't run without it. A replacement part for a train this old is difficult enough to find, let alone by a supposed company who doesn't care about its operation. Norman decides to come clean about his identity. The problem is no one believes him. In fact, they all believe he's crazy. While everyone else does whatever they can to fix the throttle in time for the Jamboree, Norman, on his own, has to make contact with the outside world to prove that he says who he is by getting the train's throttle fixed the proper way. He is able to make contact with his team ... Written by Huggo

Flyod Smoot, the conductor, is courting a woman through the mail - but when she ends it after receiving a photo of him, he loses all confidence. Kate tries to help him think all the women from Hooterville and the surrounding area have eyes for him, but instead he gets the idea that Kate has been secretly in love with him - now how does she let him down without breaking his heart again? Written by Ginger

Uncle Joe spends Kate's money to buy cases of lousy men and women's cologne to make a fast buck reselling it. The money was intended to put screens in the hotel that will keep mosquitoes from chasing away paying guests, so Kate has to find a way to get money for cologne no one wants before she doesn't have any guests left. Written by Anonymous

The annual Shady Rest horseshoe pitching tournament is coming up, it being one of the busiest times for the hotel with all the out-of-town competitors requiring accommodations. The perpetual winner of the tournament is Pixley Fats, who seems poised to win again this year and whose entire life revolves around pitching horseshoes. However, a new and slightly unconventional potential entry this year may give Pixley Fats a run for his money: Betty Jo. Betty Jo has long known that she has a talent for the sport, but always thought the tournament was only for men. Although there are no rules against female participants, female pitchers are uncustomary. Kate enters Betty Jo against Uncle Joe's wishes as he feels it will insult every man entered to play against a female, a teenager no less. Regardless, he can't stop Betty Jo, who he is sure will lose anyway. Uncle Joe changes his mind when he sees how talented Betty Jo is, she who makes it into the finals against Pixley Fats. So the final ... Written by Huggo

When Billie Jo has to come up with a fourth for her double date with Junior Hocker and Junior's visiting friend Roger Budd, Kate suggests Bobbie Jo to her. Billie Jo doesn't think Bobbie Jo would be a good fit as she knows all the boys see Bobbie Jo as a dull walking encyclopedia instead of a fun girl. This news distresses Kate, who convinces Billie Jo to ask Bobbie Jo anyway. Convincing Bobbie Jo may be more difficult as Bobbie Jo admits that she has no interest in and just doesn't feel comfortable around boys yet. But Kate does convince her to start dating, with this blind date a good first start. Kate uses a simile about rhubarb to describe boys to an unknowing Bobbie Jo. Bobbie Jo will need the full recipe for making hot rhubarb to gain the attention of Roger, who she admits she really does like as a member of the opposite sex, but who seems not only to like a type of girl like Billie Jo instead but actually Billie Jo herself. Written by Huggo

Unknown to everyone in the valley, two young men - opinionated Arthur Gilroy and his friend Lowell Rightmeyer who does whatever Arthur says - both strangers to the valley, are on their way to rob the bank in Pixley. They change their plans when they learn that the next day, the Cannonball, without any armed guards, will make its express run from Hooterville to Pixley for the bank shipment. Arthur and Lowell decide to stay the night at the Shady Rest and stop the train the next day by placing a barricade on the tracks so that they can hold it up. Kate and the family are happy to have who they see as two polite and handsome young men stay with them. However, when Arthur and Lowell do hold up the train the next day, they are unprepared for Kate and Uncle Joe also being on the train, they who recognize the masked bandits. In combination with news from Floyd and learning what is in the bank shipment, Arthur and Lowell decide to make what they consider a more lucrative robbery at the Shady ... Written by Huggo

The Cannonball and its primary passenger, Uncle Joe, are pelted with eggs after the Hooterville Hornets, coached by Uncle Joe, are drubbed in what may be their worst game ever. Another unexpected passenger on that run is Homer Bedloe, who, despite being hit with a couple of eggs himself, is surprisingly cordial and pleasant. While Uncle Joe doesn't see anything wrong with Bedloe being cordial and taking it like a man in defeat in his efforts to scrap the Cannonball - which probably included being humiliated back at head office for his failures - Kate on the other hand believes Bedloe is up to no good. She's right. News gets to Sam that two bigwigs from the railroad, on Bedloe's urging, are coming for a surprise inspection the following day, which is why Bedloe seems so lackadaisical about Charley and Floyd running behind schedule or the coach being stained with dried, rotten eggs. When Kate learns this news, she and the gang have several tasks ahead of them. First, they have to go ... Written by Huggo

When Kate and the girls go into town to pick up the pocket watch they ordered through Drucker's store - the watch being Uncle Joe's birthday present - Kate, in an effort to boost Herby's confidence, he who is working for Sam, inadvertently offers him a job as Assistant Manager at the hotel, with an imminent promotion to Manager. Herby readily accepts. Kate doesn't have the heart not to give him the job, so she decides that she can give him some menial tasks at the hotel under the guise of the important sounding position. However, Uncle Joe believes that Herby's arrival and Kate not wanting him to go into town with her and the girls among other things means that Herby is his professional replacement at the hotel and Kate is setting him out to pasture against his will. Wanting to feel useful while doing something important, Uncle Joe goes in search of a job. He gets one, telling everyone that he is an executive with some large company. Knowing that he's probably earning money in some ... Written by Huggo

Uncle Joe has come up with another scheme to attract guests to the hotel: advertise it as a wedding/honeymoon destination. The special wedding/honeymoon package would include among other things Uncle Joe actually officiating the wedding ceremony. The existing Justice of the Peace just resigned and with two months until the next election, Uncle Joe plans on getting Sam, the county judge, to appoint him JP pro tempore until the election. Uncle Joe figures that by the time the election rolls around, his experience will sweep him to an election win. Kate and the girls can't argue with the idea, except that it was conceived and will be executed by Uncle Joe, whose plans always go awry. Uncle Joe manages to catch Sam to swear him in just before Sam leaves on a one week hunting vacation at Lost Lake. All Uncle Joe has to do is file the documentation at the courthouse to make it legal. After Uncle Joe performs his first wedding, for a young couple named Walter Shepherd and Elsie Gregg, Uncle ... Written by Huggo

Mrs. Gladys Stroud, a renowned hotel critic, decides to come and review the Shady Rest after she is accidentally sent a brochure uncle Joe made. This was the vision of what he hoped the hotel would one day be, including indoor ice rink, bowling alley, and swimming pool. Now the family has to scramble to keep her from finding out the truth and closing them down for lying. Written by Anonymous

The Bradleys, Sam Drucker, Herby, Charlie and Floyd are decorating the Cannonball for it's annual Christmas Eve trip of caroling, gift-giving and merriment around the valley, but Homer Bedloe is determined to be a Scrooge and take possession of the train on Christmas Eve. Written by David Bassler

Herby is depressed when he gets drafted, so the girls cheer him up by suggesting he could be an astronaut. Uncle Joe hears this and decides he needs promote Herby's future political career to the whole town. When Herby gets a discharge for minor medical problems, Kate finds a way for him to save face with Bobbie Jo and the rest. Written by Anonymous

Bobbie Jo meets a Jack Kerouac wannabe named Alan Landman, a poet from New York City. Despite Bobbie Jo liking him in every respect, he dismisses her way of life, where he sees questions like how do you do? as only social niceties which have no basis in what is real and true. Bobbie Jo wants to prove him wrong while deep down she wants to find out for herself if Alan is really right about how meaningless her conventional life is. After meeting Bobbie Jo's family, his impression is exactly as he thought it would be. Similarly, their impression of Alan is equally as dismal. Bobbie Jo, on the other hand, is falling in love with Alan, or at least what Alan represents. Alan vows to send for Bobbie Jo eventually, which Kate and Uncle Joe know is a crock, but even at that they know that Bobbie Jo will always see Alan in a romantic light. Kate has to figure out a way to make Bobbie Jo come to the conclusion on her own that Alan and his life do not deserve to be romanticized. Written by Huggo

Kate has some exciting news for Billie Jo: the endowment policy that her father, who Billie Jo is named after, invested for her has matured. William's last wish was for Billie Jo to use the money to go to medical school. Kate expects Billie Jo to fulfill that last wish. But Billie Jo has a trip to Hollywood and acting stardom on her mind with that $500 instead. Kate thinks that Hooterville's long time doctor, Dr. Depew, can talk Billie Jo into it. But Kate's thinks that Dr. Depew's handsome new assistant, Dr. Clayton Harris, would be able to convince Billie Jo even more. Kate needs to use a little deceit as she knows Billie Jo won't stick around if she knows a doctor wants to talk her into becoming a doctor, and Dr. Harris wouldn't come if he knew that Billie Jo really had no interest in becoming a doctor at all. So using Uncle Joe as a patient with non-existing symptoms, Kate hopes to have Dr. Harris make a thorough examination with Billie Jo as his assistant, exposing her to the ... Written by Huggo

Billie Jo is still determined to use the $500 from the endowment policy her father took out to go to Hollywood to become a movie star instead of his intention for her to go to medical school. It doesn't help that Uncle Joe, who wants to go with her, is fueling her dream. Since Dr. Harris, Dr. Depew's handsome young assistant, couldn't convince Billie Jo to become a doctor, Kate believes that Dr. Depew himself might be able to. Dr. Depew believes Kate's mistake between Dr. Harris and Billie Jo was throwing them together in a doctor/potential doctor relationship, whereas throwing them into a boy/girl relationship starting as doctor/patient might do the trick. First, Kate and her accomplices have to convince Billie Jo that she's not looking well, then get Dr. Harris to come to the continual assistance of his helpless but beautiful patient. Kate believes there is one more piece to complete the puzzle, courtesy of a mock edition of the Hooterville World Guardian. Written by Huggo

Uncle Joe has made a deal with Lucy Wayne, the secretary of suave movie star Lane Haggard, for them to stay for two weeks at the Shady Rest. Incognito as Mr. Jones, Haggard, according to Miss Wayne, needs to get some rest and relaxation away from prying public eyes. But upon their arrival, Miss Wayne believes Uncle Joe has duped her. First, Uncle Joe has told what seems like the entire valley about their stay. And second, Miss Wayne wanted no attractive women around to fall under Haggard's reflex movie idol charms, with Kate and the girls what she considers not quite homely as Uncle Joe described them. The problem arises that those reflex charms do surface without Haggard realizing what he is doing, and the three girls, not used to such words from a big city man, believe what he tells each of them instead of those words being niceties which he says to every attractive female. While Kate tries to protect her girls, she also tries to help the one person to who those charms really do ... Written by Huggo

Business is so bad at the Shady Rest that Kate plans on getting Uncle Joe to pawn her beloved gold necklace and locket to make the $200 bank loan payment due at the end of the week. Uncle Joe has other plans to make the repayment, but comes upon one that falls into his lap when he meets Henrietta Boswell and Gertrude Hawley, who are lost and looking for Madame Bovary's Hideaway Reducing Farm, one of the most exclusive resorts of its kind. He convinces them that the Shady Rest is *the* most exclusive reducing farm and charges half the $200 per week per person at Madame Bovary's, which, as luck would have it, is exactly what Kate needs to pay the loan. The catch is that Uncle Joe provides them with a money back guarantee. As Uncle Joe hides from Kate the nature of the women's stay at the hotel, he, with a rigged scale, also has to convince the two that the secret to weight loss is to eat whatever they want as long as it is combined with turnip greens, and to do what would normally be ... Written by Huggo

When Kate unexpectedly sees Homer Bedloe in Hooterville, she knows trouble is in store. Because of the continual problems he has faced trying to scrap the Cannonball, Bedloe states he has given up on that idea. Instead, he plans on selling the Cannonball - a seemingly one-of-a-kind antique locomotive - and he has a buyer on hand. He is millionaire retired train man and antique train aficionado, Phillip Waterhouse. Waterhouse, who comes with his personal secretary Cassidy, is an old, ornery and snobbish man who generally gets what he wants. Bedloe plans on giving Waterhouse a test run on the train. Instead, Kate manages to be Waterhouse's fellow passenger, leaving Bedloe behind in Hooterville. With Charley and Floyd's help, Kate hopes she can convince Waterhouse that the train is in such disrepair that it's not worth buying. But by the time they arrive at the Shady Rest, Kate learns Waterhouse's true motivation in wanting to buy the train, which was not as she expected. She hopes that ... Written by Huggo

Much to Kate's chagrin, Uncle Joe has again accepted what she considers useless sample merchandise from a traveling salesman staying at the hotel for payment rather than cold hard cash, which she needs for operating costs. The samples this time are a set of six paint-by-number canvases. Uncle Joe believes that hanging one of his completed paintings behind the lobby desk will positively influence people in making the decision to check-in at the hotel. Uncle Joe's first painting not only doesn't look anything like the sample, but it repulses everyone who sees it... that is except for Mssrs. Cheever and Parks - an art dealer and his assistant - who have stopped into the hotel for dinner. Following their negotiation, Cheever buys the painting as is, complete with frame, for $15. What Uncle Joe is unaware of is that Cheever, who like everyone else is repulsed by the painting, recognized the frame as being one worth $200. Based on the sale, Uncle Joe believes he is the next great artist, as... Written by Huggo

Betty Jo can't think of anything or anyone else but Orville Miggs, with who she is in love, her first love. Beyond Kate now thinking that her little girl is growing up, everyone including Kate is incredulous as to the object of Betty Jo's affections, an unkempt grease monkey who in turn can't think of anything but cars. As such, all Orville sees in Betty Jo is a mechanic's expert assistant. Regardless, Kate doesn't want to see Betty Jo get hurt by Orville not returning Betty Jo's affections. Despite Orville's current view of Betty Jo, Kate and the family think he will see her in a different and more romantic light if she softens and becomes a bit more feminine. But they quickly learn that something a little harder needs to hit Orville over the head than a frilly dress and hair ribbons to make him notice Betty Jo, and ultimately give her her much wanted first kiss. If the family is able to accomplish their task, will Betty Jo ultimately think it was worth it? Written by Huggo

Homer Bedloe is back in Hooterville trying yet again to find a way to shut down the Cannonball. He believes there must be something in the financial books that he can use since Charley and Floyd have not submitted a financial report in twelve years. That path ends up being more confusing to Bedloe than it's worth pursuing. But he thinks he's found a way when he learns of Uncle Joe's latest scheme to get out of doing work. Kate has long wanted Uncle Joe to dig a drainage ditch down by the tracks. So Uncle Joe is advertising that guests can dig for silver down by the tracks, which is true in the sense that there has proven to be silver ore there, but not in any amount or quality that it is worth the effort to dig it up. As such, Bedloe decides to sell leases all along the track from Hooterville to Pixley for people to prospect for silver. In the process, all the digging will just rip up the track, leaving the train unable to run without major repairs to the track. Kate can see through ... Written by Huggo

A regional talent contest is being held in Hooterville with the winner being awarded $50 and a trip to Chicago for the television broadcast final. Uncle Joe has arranged with the organizers to hold the contest at the Shady Rest, he believing the publicity and potential business for the contest itself invaluable. Kate allows the girls to enter only because they are certain that none of them will win, having one winner and two losers which is what worried Kate. With Kate's permission, Uncle Joe has other thoughts where he wants the girls to compete their hearts out with the goal of winning. The girls agree in that they figure Kate could use the $50. With an ulterior motive of being the adult chaperon for his winning niece in going to Chicago for the final, Uncle Joe goes about using whatever underhanded means trying to convince all the credible competition not to enter the contest. But Kate, who gets wind of Uncle Joe's scheme, wants the contest to be fair, and undoes all Joe's ... Written by Huggo

When Kate's old friend Emily Mapes comes to the Shady Rest, she notices that Kate is unmarried and wants to see her wed. Emily recruits Kate's daughters to round up some bachelors to go to the Shady Rest to court Kate. However, Uncle Joe thinks that if Kate finds a man, he will lose his job Written by Jereme

Beatlemania has hit Hooterville by storm, Uncle Joe has recruited Billy, Bobbie, and Betty Joe along with their friend Sally Ragsdale to form their own band called the Ladybugs. An agent is coming to Hooterville to see the girls in action; however Kate will not allow it. It is now up to the girls to turn their Mother less square as they put it. Written by Jereme

Uncle Joe gets angry at Charlie and Floyd when he is left behind by the Cannonball. He decides to start his own transport business by using the Flivverball an old car converted into a railway car. Kate must now deal with the feuding groups before the cannonball goes out of business. Written by Jereme

Norman Curtis, the President of the CandFW Railroad, is currently on vacation in Europe, leaving instructions with the acting President, J.B. Giddings, not to do anything to the Cannonball while he's gone. However, Homer Bedloe has a scheme to shut down the Cannonball for good while making Giddings look like a hero to company stockholders while not circumventing Curtis' orders. The plan entails Bedloe being appointed Superintendent of the Cannonball, and in this role implementing an efficiency campaign with an impossible to meet new schedule. Charley and Floyd would have to meet the targets or else Bedloe would have just cause to shut the service down. He expects Charley and Floyd will eventually just give up. It's the stockholders meeting where Bedloe and Giddings plan to show their good work that Kate believes they've got their secret weapon in ruining Bedloe's plans. Written by Huggo

Mr. Bunce with the bank is doing his inspection of the hotel, and is planning on not extending Kate's financing... that is until wealthy socialite Clara Watkins checks into the hotel with her son, Sonny Watkins, who has just been expelled from his sixth college. Mrs. Watkins has largely amassed her fortune from her multiple husbands, she never having to lift a finger. Although not her cup of tea as a place for herself, Mrs. Watkins believes the atmosphere at the Shady Rest will give Sonny plenty of time to reflect on his mistakes and what he needs to do to fix his mistakes. Bunce however will only extend Kate's financing if Mrs. Watkins recommends the hotel to her friends. While Kate does whatever she can to please Mrs. Watkins, Kate has to decide if there is a limit to how accommodating she will be... especially when she learns that annoying Sonny wants to marry Billie Jo, which is the last thing Billie Jo wants to do. Uncle Joe decides the only way to get Billie Jo out of this ... Written by Huggo