There was a town in Pennsylvania called Pithole City.

I'm not lying.

Pithole City.

It doesn't exist anymore.

What a shock.

And I'm not sure if it's out of existence because the entire population died of acne or everybody just moved away because they couldn't stand writing it down as their address.

[theme music] ANNOUNCER: The Pennsylvania Game is made possible in part by-- [music playing] WOMAN VOICEOVER 1: Uni-Mart convenience stores, making your life easier every day of the year.

ANNOUNCER: Now, let's get the game started.

Here's the host of The Pennsylvania Game, Scott Bruce.

[cheers and applause] You got to love these people.

What a great studio audience.

And welcome to the players at home.

And remember, this is The Pennsylvania Game, except no imitations.

Let's meet our panelists for today's show, starting right off in the hot seat, as I like to call it, Steve Ragusea.

Steve is a clinical psychologist from State College.

He's board certified in family, psychological, neuropsychological, and forensic psychology.

Yeah.

SCOTT BRUCE: Yeah.

The fact that he's agreed to be on the show again is proof to me that he's at least certainly certifiable.

[laughter, applause] Mary Rawson is an award winning television producer, writer, and documentary, and dramatic filmmaker.

As a performer, Mary plays X, the owl's cousin Mary in Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood.

Mary Rawson.

[applause] And finally, and certainly not least, Cynthia King is minister of Christian education for Petra Ministries in Pittsburgh.

Cynthia has reportedly turned down offers to replace Oprah, but says she isn't giving up her seat on The Pennsylvania Game until she goes home with a new car.

[laughs] [applause] SCOTT BRUCE: Let's hear it for Cynthia King.

I think perhaps somebody should tell Cynthia that the only car she's going to win here is a matchbox.

We're not a big budget show.

Let's go to our first question.

ANNOUNCER: Penn State is known as a world class research institution with programs ranging from astrophysics to turfgrass.

But research studies in 1981 brought new attention to the university, and for legal reasons a new classification.

Was Penn State classified as a, A, zoo, B, morgue, C, weight loss clinic, or D, prison?

[laughs] SCOTT BRUCE: Penn State.

Penn State.

Could it be a zoo, a morgue, a weight loss clinic, or a prison?

They all sound bizarre to me.

We're going to start with you, Steve.

Where do you want to go with this?

[laughs] I think-- I think that-- I think that after any given football game, it seems like a zoo.

But I got a hunch, for legal reasons, it's probably classified as a prison, which might ultimately be a wise way to handle the problem.

I think-- I think you're onto something.

If it's not, I'm going to talk to somebody.

We're going to go to you, Mary.

What do you think?

Well, I have no idea in the world.

And we're from University of Pittsburgh area.

So Penn State, you might say, is a zoo in some, you know, football weekends, but that wouldn't be nice to say.

So I won't say that.

So I'll say morgue.

Because, you know, they do interesting research and-- SCOTT BRUCE: A morgue So you going with B for a morgue?

Morgue.

Yeah, yeah.

Yeah, they might not need to be a zoo or a prison.

They're dead.

They're dead.

That's right.

Exactly.

Yeah.

Everything is so flattering to Penn State.

Let's run down to Cynthia.

What do think, Cynthia?

Well, I know that it's a zoo, having been here for a while.

I know that it does some weight loss programs, although I'm not a good example of that.

And I put a morgue because I know a lot of dead people.

SCOTT BRUCE: All right.

All right.

Well-- well, from that, we've got two morgues and a zoo, and I don't know where we're going with any of it.

Let's find out what the real answer is.

ANNOUNCER: The answer is A, a zoo.

The Pennsylvania State University was classified as a zoological garden in 1981 to facilitate Dr. Robert Cowan's research.

A ruminant nutritionist, Dr. Cowan was interested in working with blue duikers, a breed of antelope from South Africa because of their small size.

But federal law requires that imported wildlife must first go to a zoo for a 90-day quarantine.

In 1977, the fragile animals arrived at the Philadelphia Zoo but died within a few months.

Five years later, Dr. Cowan again imported blue duikers.

But this time, the animals arrived at Penn State.

The Penn State deer pens were reclassified as a zoo so that Cowan could supervise the blue duikers care.

One of the requirements of a zoological garden is that animals be kept on display.

So a window was installed in the pen so that the public could view the nine-pound antelopes.

At the peak of Dr. Cowan's research, the herd of 18 blue duikers had grown to a population of 400.

In fact, all blue duikers in the US today can be traced to Dr. Cowan's work.

A zoo?

A zoo?

[contestants laughs] [applause] How could they call Penn State a zoo?

I mean, at least here, the animals are allowed to roam free.

[laughter] Oh, I don't know.

I think it's turned into a zoo.

Bring me a new question.

ANNOUNCER: Pithole City in Northwestern Pennsylvania is famous for its short but exciting life.

What was built in Pithole in 1865 during the town's 500-day existence?

Was it A, the country's first logging boom, B, the world's only underground aqueduct, C, the largest brothel in the United States, or D the world's first successful pipeline?

SCOTT BRUCE: Hm.

Logging boom, underground aqueduct, brothel, or pipeline?

[chime] Everybody punch in, please.

Let's go to Mary to start off on this one.

Mary, what do you think it might be?

Um, oh.

Well, I meant to say something else.

But since I said the largest brothel in the US, I'll have to come up with a reason for that.

SCOTT BRUCE: You don't have to, Mary.

Well, I'll work at it.

SCOTT BRUCE: OK.

It was a town that had a very short existence, 500 days.

And maybe it was put in prison even though it wasn't a zoo yet.

I have no idea.

I certainly-- You're going with a theory that if you don't know, you're going to overexplain the damn thing.

There you go.

MARY RAWSON: I think that's exactly right.

Good thinking.

OK, I like it.

Let's go to Cynthia.

What do you think?

I don't have a clue.

I mean, I really am clueless on this one.

So I just put A. SCOTT BRUCE: A, logging boom.

That's OK. That's a perfectly good guess.

I put one-- I chose the answer B because of one word, and that is the word aqueduct.

I don't know what it's connected to in terms of the question, but I love the word aqueduct.

SCOTT BRUCE: I believe the aqueduct is running.

I could be wrong.

Let's go and find out what that is that's running out there.

ANNOUNCER: The answer is D, the world's first successful pipeline.

In October 1865, Samuel Van Syckel constructed a pipeline to connect Pithole with Miller farm on the oil creek railroad.

Other men had tried to build pipelines in the past, but none was successful.

The 5 and 1/2 mile long pipeline was so successful that Van Syckel laid a second line to Miller farm that December.

Over the next few months, more short pipelines were built to carry oil to train stations and storage barrels.

In the mid 1870s, the oil production at pithole had dwindled to almost nothing, and the pipeline was dug up, leaving only a 16-foot section of the pipe and two visible trenches.

OK, time for a little panel chat, kids.

Steve.

Hi.

SCOTT BRUCE: I see now all of this certified in psychology, this, and that, and that, and that.

Explain this to me.

I mean-- STEVE RAGUSEA: None of that's terribly important.

That's not relevant?

Not at all?

SCOTT BRUCE: No.

What drives you to all of this?

Oh, I don't know.

Frustration, I suppose.

I feel frustrated right now, I guess.

[audience yells] Frustrated?

Wow.

I feel better now.

SCOTT BRUCE: That's good.

You're cleansed, Steve.

I have this limerick I keep trying to put together, and I can't do it.

It's-- there once was a man from State College who wished to pursue statehood knowledge.

But on The Pennsylvania Game, his performance was lame, and now he, dada, dada, dada.

Now I can't-- I mean, the best I can come up with is now he sits home sipping porridge.

But that doesn't work, you know.

No, no.

So what I'd like is for people who are watching at home to write in and give me a way to complete the limerick, and then the winner can get an autographed photo of you.

I think that's the way to do it.

OK, that'll be the idea.

Folks at home, mark that down tape record it, and do it.

Thank you very much, Steve.

And Mary, we're going to come over to you.

Now, this is so exciting for me.

You play the owl on the Mr. Rogers' Show.

We were talking about this on the panel earlier.

I just love Mr. Rogers.

Tell us about it.

Well, I play X, the owl's cousin, cousin Mary.

And it is the most thrilling, wonderful thing in the entire world.

Because Mr. Rogers is the best in the world, and he is exactly as he seems.

So it's such a gift to be able to spend time with Fred and with all the wonderful people in the neighborhood.

SCOTT BRUCE: What a treat.

It's just such a wonderful show.

I love it.

Thanks so much, Mary.

Cynthia.

CYNTHIA KING: Yes, sir.

Now, we know about you being a minister now.

That's very, very exciting.

And you're back home in your native Pittsburgh, back from State College.

What's going on with it down there?

Well, Pittsburgh is exciting.

Our school, Imani Christian Academy, is exciting.

We have wonderful children.

Usually.

SCOTT BRUCE: Usually.

Usually.

Let me qualify that.

But things are going absolutely wonderfully for me.

It couldn't be any better right now.

SCOTT BRUCE: OK. Well, thanks so much for joining us.

And we can't waste any time.

Kids, let's have another question, please.

Many people immediately linked the name John Roebling with the designing of the Brooklyn Bridge.

However, Roebling is credited with an historical event in Pennsylvania as well.

Did Roebling, A, design the capitol dome in Harrisburg, B, design the first dam on the Allegheny river, C, found a town in Butler County, or D, discover propane near Kane.

SCOTT BRUCE: Hm, kids, what have we got here?

Capital dome, the first dam, a town, or propane?

[chimes] Everybody plug in, please now.

Cynthia, we're going to start with you.

What do you think?

I think I'm really frustrated.

Do I have any points?

SCOTT BRUCE: Yeah, we'll get some points in just a minute.

We've got to get-- we got to get it.

No, zero points.

B.

B.

The first dam.

Ah, that's good thinking.

How about you, Steve?

What do you think?

That's a good guess.

But I've decided that this panel is so full of hot air that propane is the right answer, so.

SCOTT BRUCE: Propane would power it right along.

How about you, Mary?

Well, I think Roebling was such a genius with his bridges that he didn't want to get far from water.

So he designed the first dam.

SCOTT BRUCE: First dam.

OK, very good.

Let's find out what the real answer is right now.

ANNOUNCER: The answer is C, found a new town in Butler County.

John Augustus Roebling emigrated from Germany in 1831 and decided to settle with his brother Carl in Pittsburgh.

After Carl fell ill with malaria, the two ended their journey early and decided to remain in Butler County.

Because it was, quote, "one of the healthiest spots in the State."

They named the place Saxonburg after their native Germany.

And soon, it became a thriving community.

Saxonburg was the site of one of Roebling's greatest inventions, wire cable, used to haul railroad cars up steep inclines.

Of course, Roebling went on to design the Brooklyn Bridge, his greatest achievement.

But the borough of Saxonburg owes its existence to the pioneering spirit of John Roebling.

It's another barnburner.

And the score is zero, to zero, to zero.

Give it up for them.

[applause] But now, it's time for the first clue of the Mystery Pennsylvanian.

Penn's ready, kids.

Born in Harrisburg in 1943.

Time Magazine once named him man of the year.

Born in Harrisburg in 1943.

Time Magazine, at one point, named him man of the year.

I see a lot of thinking going on.

Wheels are turning.

The audience is going.

Wait, I know this.

Collectively, but not really sure.

We're getting some stuff written down.

OK, here comes.

Next question.

ANNOUNCER: Lou Brissie was barely 19 when he went to war in 1943.

A courageous squad leader, he survived an explosion that killed nine of his buddies and mangled his leg.

While many thought he would never recover, Brissie fought back and later became, A, Hollywood stuntman, B, a pitcher for the Philadelphia athletics, C, a record holding marathon runner, or D, the first person with a disability to hold public office.

SCOTT BRUCE: Hm.

Kids, stuntman, pitcher, marathon runner, or disability to hold office?

Steve, we're back to you to start.

He was a pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1952.

Oh, said with such conviction.

I think the guy knows what he's talking about.

Mary, what do you think?

He was a pitcher for the Philadelphia athletics.

Uh-oh.

It's a team thing.

We're on a sweep.

Could we make it a clean sweep?

Absolutely.

Clearly, he was a pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics in 1954.

SCOTT BRUCE: Yes.

[dings] All right.

We got all Bs.

Let's see if it happened.

ANNOUNCER: The answer is B, a pitcher for the Philadelphia Athletics.

When Connie Mack of the Philadelphia Athletics saw Lou Brissie pitch as a young boy, he compared him to lefty grove, arguably the greatest left handed pitcher of all time.

In 1943, Lou Brissie headed off to war.

He had a promise from Connie Mack that the As would be waiting on his return.

Unfortunately, a shell exploded at his feet, and Brissie's left leg split open like a ripe watermelon.

Doctors wanted to amputate, but Lou begged them to keep the legs so that he could play ball.

He became a test case, the first soldier in the Mediterranean to be placed on a round the clock penicillin.

23 times, doctors operated to remove splintered bone and shrapnel.

His leg was saved, but osteomyelitis, a life threatening infection of the bone, has plagued him all his life.

In the spring of 1947, Lou Brissie made his baseball comeback.

Fans flocked to see him.

Once he drew over 11,000 fans to a field that only held 8,500.

When the season ended, Lou Brissie had set a modern strikeout record of 278 and became a national hero.

Well, that one was a winner for everybody.

Let's see if we can throw another strike right away.

ANNOUNCER: Beginning in 1875, Caleb Ely of Waynesburg, Greene County noticed that something nearly always occurred on July 29th, his birthday.

The annual occurrence has become a tradition in Waynesburg and is today referred to as, A, Hiccup Day, B, Meteor Day, C, Rain Day, or D, Death Day.

SCOTT BRUCE: Well, I don't know.

What do you guys think?

Do you think it could be-- do you think it could be-- do you think it could be Hiccup Day?

Do you think it could be Meteor Day?

Do you think it could be Rain Day, or do you think it could be Death Day?

Oh.

[chimes] We're going to go to Mary on this one.

OK, I have no idea at all.

But July is a time when you see a lot of meteors.

So I'm going to guess B, Meteor Day.

SCOTT BRUCE: Meteor Day.

That's a good-- good logic.

I follow it along.

What do you think, Cynth?

I guess Hiccup Day just because I thought it would be fun, you know, just everybody hiccuping at the same time.

SCOTT BRUCE: You're absolutely right.

And on this show, it could be right.

Let's go over to Steve.

What do you think, Steve?

And I'm figuring it's like the Arts Festival in State College.

It always rains on that day.

So it's Rain Day.

SCOTT BRUCE: OK, we've got three completely different answers.

Let's see if any one of them found the right one.

ANNOUNCER: The answer is C, Rain Day.

Since 1875, it has rained in Waynesburg on July 29 for 101 of the past 120 years.

The unique pattern was first noticed by Caleb Ely, who wondered why it was always raining on his birthday.

Ely began to record the weather every year on his birthday, and the tradition was passed down to a family friend, John Daly, who became known as the rain day prophet.

Daly has won numerous rain day hat bets from celebrities.

The rule says anything from a drizzle to a deluge is considered rain, and Daly almost always wins.

He now owns hats wagered by Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Johnny Carson.

Rain Day is celebrated each July 29 in Waynesburg with entertainment, food, umbrella decorating contests, and lots of other rainy day activities.

Oh-oh.

It's pouring here, too.

And that means it's time to check our score.

As I look at the big tote board, Steve has pulled out to an advantage of 1.2 to one, one.

[applause] And that means it's time for our second clue in the Mystery Pennsylvanian.

Here we come, kids.

Bold and brash.

He was once referred to as the second most powerful man in America.

Bold and brash, he was once referred to as the second most powerful man in America.

Born in Harrisburg in 1943.

Time Magazine once named him man of the year.

Well, there's a lot of thought going into it.

Hm.

SCOTT BRUCE: OK, kids.

Get our answers and continue on with the game.

Bring me some more questions.

ANNOUNCER: Although Oscar Hammerstein II grew up in New York, he spent many productive years in Doylestown, Bucks County.

All but one of the following is true of his Pennsylvania connection, which is not?

A, he wrote the lyrics to Oklahoma in Pennsylvania, B, he died in Bucks County in his Highland Farms home, C, his home is now the site of a bed and breakfast getaway, or D, he established a private law practice in Doylestown.

SCOTT BRUCE: All of these are true, but one.

Which one is not true?

Did he write the lyrics to Oklahoma in Pennsylvania?

Did he die in Bucks County?

Is his home now the site of a bed and breakfast, or did he establish a private law practice?

[chimes] OK, we're all punched in.

Cynthia, we'll start with you.

Actually, I was not paying attention.

They were moving my chair, so I believe I should get a consolation prize, even if I'm wrong.

SCOTT BRUCE: You're right.

Give her a Pennsylvania lottery ticket.

Pass two tickets down to her for the chair novel.

[bell rings] You're right, Cynthia.

So I did what my students do, I guessed.

SCOTT BRUCE: Yeah.

And what-- A SCOTT BRUCE: You guessed A. OK, we'll see if you guessed right.

How about you, Steve?

I think Oscar Hammerstein had too much competence, talent, and character to be a lawyer.

So-- [laughter] I went with D. You know, I can't even argue with you on that one.

That was beautiful.

Here.

Here's a lottery ticket for you too.

STEVE RAGUSEA: [laughs] SCOTT BRUCE: Mary, what do you think?

I guessed B because I think probably he lived his life in the theater, and he wanted to die in a theater as well.

So I guess, B, he died in his Bucks County home.

He didn't do that.

He didn't do that.

OK. We'll find out which one of these guess is right, right now.

ANNOUNCER: The answer is D. He did attend law school at Columbia University but never established a law practice in Pennsylvania.

Oscar Hammerstein was destined for the theater.

Short on money, young Oscar asked his uncle Arthur, a successful Broadway producer, for a job as an assistant stage manager.

He soon began writing music.

His first real success was the musical Showboat after which Hammerstein moved to Doylestown with his wife.

It was there that he worked with Richard Rodgers to create the musical Oklahoma.

Hammerstein said that it was a view from his farm that inspired him to write the lyrics to, oh, what a beautiful morning.

Oklahoma changed the way American musical theater was seen.

And for his efforts, Hammerstein was awarded a special Pulitzer prize.

1960, Hammerstein died of stomach cancer at his farm, just after his final musical, The Sound of Music started its run on Broadway.

His home is now the site of a unique bed and breakfast with rooms named after the musicals that Hammerstein wrote.

Hm.

Correct me if I'm wrong here, but shouldn't it have been Pennsylvania, where the wind comes sweeping down the plain?

[laughter] [applause] I like it.

That was good.

All right, all right.

I know I can't sing.

I know.

That's when I sing, it is comedy.

There you go.

I think that's enough of the singing.

Let's just go ahead to a new question.

ANNOUNCER: Between them, Paul and Lloyd Waner, the 1920s Pittsburgh Pirates, collected more than 5,500 hits and are the only brother combination in baseball's hall of fame.

What nickname were they known by?

Was it A, Thunderbolt and Lightning Rod, B, Iron and Steel, C, Big Poison and Little Poison, or D, Twinkle Toes and Strong Arm.

[laughter] SCOTT BRUCE: I got to tell you, any one of these would have been a funny one.

Thunderbolt and Lightning Rod, Iron and Steel, Big Poison and Little Poison or Twinkle Toes and Strong Arm.

[chimes] Steve, right back to you on it.

[laughs] Well, following the Oscar Hammerstein question, it probably should be Twinkle Toes.

But I think Iron and Steel are more Pennsylvania-like names.

So I'm going with that.

SCOTT BRUCE: Pittsburgh kind of an answer.

I see what you're thinking.

Mary, what do you think?

Well, they were such Pittsburgh guys that I'm actually saying Iron and Steel.

But I have a feeling it was Big Poison and Little Poison.

But I put B, so I'm going to live with it.

SCOTT BRUCE: OK. Well, we'll find out if you're thinking was right anyway.

You'll get a lottery ticket if you were right.

How about you, Cynthia?

I never do like the obvious.

And obviously, that shows by my score.

So I chose A. SCOTT BRUCE: A, for Thunderbolt and Lightning Rod.

OK, well, I think somebody had the right idea, but I don't think anybody got it right.

ANNOUNCER: The answer is C, Big Poison and Little Poison.

Outfielders Paul and Lloyd Waner were nicknamed Big Poison and Little Poison because they were such good hitters that they were poison to opposing pitchers.

Big poison, Paul Waner, was more of a long ball threat, while Little Poison, Lloyd Waner, consistently sprayed hits all over the field.

With 5,611 hits, this brother duo had more hits than any other brother combination in baseball history.

SCOTT BRUCE: OK, time for our third clue on the Mystery Pennsylvania.

Here we go.

Concert actively speaking, this professor turned politician is a real peach.

Conservatively speaking, this professor turned politician is a real peach.

Born in Harrisburg, 1943.

Time Magazine once named him man of the year.

Bold and brash, he was once referred to as the second most powerful man in America.

I know they know it, but they're having trouble pulling it out.

OK. We've got to get an answer because we're going to look at them now.

We'll start with Mary.

Oh, I knew you'd do that.

I'm sorry, Mary.

That's the lineup.

But do you remember that I wanted to say Big Poison and Little Poison?

SCOTT BRUCE: Yes, I did.

Believe me, we're going to give you extra points on that.

Go ahead and stick your card up.

Oh, this is so embarrassing.

OK, well, my first guess was, he's from Harrisburg, so it was like somebody in the Hershey family.

I don't know.

SCOTT BRUCE: A John Hershey.

Yeah, right.

A John Hershey.

And then second most powerful man in America was like George Steinbrenner Jr. SCOTT BRUCE: [laughs] No, that's not right.

SCOTT BRUCE: I like that.

And then, like, so I thought, well, secretary of defense, somebody.

SCOTT BRUCE: Yes.

OK. SCOTT BRUCE: It's the somebody part we're missing on, isn't it?

OK. All right.

That's OK. Let's go down to Cynthia.

Cynthia, what did you come up with?

Humpty Dumpty, Harris Berg, Harris Berg, cute.

And George Peach.

Wait, send her down a card on that one.

There you go.

Pennsylvania lottery ticket.

[bell rings] All right, Steve, over to you.

I can't follow that.

SCOTT BRUCE: You're going to have to, Steve.

Come on.

We need to go.

Well, I put down Jake Le Motta just because I like the name.

The second one, I couldn't think of anything.

And then the last one was Alberta Cling for the peach.

SCOTT BRUCE: Alberta Cling for the peach.

I can't believe nobody knows who our Mystery Pennsylvanian is.

Come on, show us who our Mystery Pennsylvanian is.

ANNOUNCER: Newton Leroy Gingrich was born in Harrisburg in 1943.

Earning masters and doctorate degrees from Tulane University in modern European history, he taught at West Georgia College for eight years before entering politics in 1978.

Considered the most powerful man in the Republican party, the US congressman from Georgia became speaker of the House of Representatives in 1995.

Gingrich vowed that in his first 100 days as speaker, he would pass a balanced budget and other measures promised in his contract with America, which is based on his best selling book by the same title.

Bold, brash, and often controversial, one columnist wrote, Americans are divided three ways on Gingrich, they love him, loathe him, or can't figure out who he is.

Time Magazine named him man of the year in 1995, making him one of the most talked about, written about political figures in the nation.

Newt Gingrich, a famous Pennsylvanian.

OK, newbies.

[applause] The Newt Meister.

Newtered.

Time to check on our scores.

And by the looks of it, Mary and Cynthia are tied, and Steve is the champion with three points.

[cheers and applause] But nobody goes home a loser here because everybody gets the fabulous Slinky.

Pull the Slinkys out, kids, and play with them.

They're fun.

Trust me.

Pennsylvania made Slinkys.

But Steve, for being our grand champion, also gets from just born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where these were just born.

They followed a star to get there, a whole bunch of candies.

OK. That's it for the show.

Join us on The Pennsylvania Game again soon.

[applause, music playing] ANNOUNCER: The Pennsylvania Game is made possible in part by-- [music playing] WOMAN VOICEOVER 1: Uni-Mart convenience stores, making your life easier every day of the year.

WOMAN VOICEOVER 2: Meals and lodging for contestants of The Pennsylvania Game provided by The Nittany Lion Inn, located on Penn State's University park campus.

[applause, theme music]