The town of Wagram had tidings from another small town Saturday – the town of Mayberry, N.C., the fictional location of The Andy Griffith Show.

A Mayberry Sheriff's car was at the Lumber River State Park, just outside Wagram's city limit.

The 1964 Ford Galaxie 500 was driven by Howard Sprague impersonator Jeff Branch, The car included a working siren and played the Andy Griffith theme song.

Branch said he was enlisted as Sprague by David Browning, a Barney Fife impersonator. Browning had told him with a suit, bow tie and hat, he would look just like the fictional county clerk.

The sheriff's deputy gave it a whirl at Mayberry Days at Mt. Airy in 2000.

"People went crazy for it," said Branch, a real-life deputy from Montgomery County.

He's playing the role in his free time ever since.

Branch says he enjoys the people he meets as Sprague.

"It doesn't matter where I go," Branch said. "Mayberry fans are Mayberry fans."

He said most fans enjoy harkening back to the old days through Andy Griffith reruns because of the show's values.

"If people lived the way they did back then, our jails wouldn't be full," Branch said.

The deputy was invited to Scotland County by TAGS – The Andy Griffith Show Rerun Watchers CLUB – for the groups quarterly meeting.

Dewey Lamb, de-facto club president, said he organized the group two years ago to share his love for the show with other avid Mayberry fans.

The local group, named "Shakedown! Shakedown!" after a Barney Fife quote, meets every three months for food and trivia.

This particular meeting, which was attended by more than 20 people, was a cookout in the park.

"We all love to watch the Andy Griffith Show," Lamb said. "It was just a simpler time and place. There was no crime or drugs and kids were respectful to their parents... Its something you can watch with your grandmother."

Lamb said he makes or buys prizes to give out for right answers on the trivia.

Such Mayberry-themed items as Aunt Bee's Kerosene Pickles, Colonel Harvey's Indian Elixir and miracle salve waited for those who answered questions on the show correctly.

Anyone interested in joining the club can call Lamb at 277-6204.