A Plaque for Mayberry - S1-E25
Visible crew/equipment: While everyone's waiting for Otis to arrive at the plaque presentation in Mayor Pike's office, after Andy admits to the mayor that he asked the real Otis to show up, it cuts to the mayor walking behind his desk, and we can see the chalk T-mark on the floor where Mrs. Bixby stands.
A Plaque for Mayberry - S1-E25
Visible crew/equipment: When Andy and Barney walk into Mayor Pike's office, they stand beside the two women from the Historical Society, and the faint chalk curved marks are visible on the floor where they stand.
Answer: It was a joke. They were supposed to be dumb hillbillies.
Both. According to later interviews with both Andy and the Dillards band (the real name of the band that played the parts of the Darling children, of which Charlene (Maggie Peterson - Mancuso was also a member) the reason the Darling boys never had any lines was because they would've had to have been paid if they spoke. In return for appearing without lines or pay, Andy promised to get as much of their music onto the show as possible which, he did. This obviously gave them a lot of exposure.