Arnold Unknown: The Complete, Untold Life of the Maine Legend, Walter L. Arnold

Description

Below you will find the Foreword and Contents of the book.  It is 324 pages with over 200 images.  Please look for my four other books about Dick Wood, EJ Dailey, Walter A. Gibbs and the Triumph Trap Company on eBay.
Foreword
This book covers Walter’s life from cradle to grave, including his original birth certificate, to his first article in the 1914 Hunter Trader Trapper, and finally, his last Holiday Greetings letter in 1980.
If you want to know the legend from head to toe, this is the book for you.
Although all know of Walter’s legacy of trapping, he was much more; an author, logger, farmer, fisher, hunter, guide, gummer, pearler, bottle hunter, historian, biologist, carpenter, lover of wildlife, fur farmer, ginseng hunter, goat trapper, stamp collector, air raid warden, reemployment committeeman, veteran, veterinarian, game warden, photographer, city slicker, bait dealer, house cat owner, school trustee, stockholder and mostly a man of common sense and good humor.
Although trapping is included in this book, my goal is to shed light on the other parts of Walter’s life.
He was easily quotable, making common sense and poignant comments about all aspects of life.
I have included many of them.
If a photograph caption is in quotes, it came from Walter.
With all aspects of history, there are different points of view as to what happened when.
This book is no different.
Since I was not there when these events happened, all I can do is write what I found and let you, the reader, determine what you want to believe or disregard.
At times, Walter wrote conflicting information.
I contribute this to the passage of years and a memory that had the general thought of an event but may have lost the detail of time.
I wanted to write this book because of the connection Walter had to the Triumph Trap Company.
If you have read my other books, you will know all have that connection.
With Walter, he was a jobber selling many of their traps.
Because he was a writer as well, he was able to use that platform to advertise Triumph Traps.
In my research, I have found no one else referred to large sized Triumph Traps as much as Walter did.
He often included references about the Triumph No. 415, No. 415X, No. 31X and No. 42X Ranger in his articles.
I have included many examples of those references.
Please note that parts of this book are written about practices from long ago.
Many of these practices are illegal or not socially acceptable today.
My intent in including them is not to glorify them in any way.
My intent is to show a picture of what the conditions were when Walter lived.
Also, all towns are in Maine unless noted otherwise.
Part of Walter’s legacy includes the contacts he made with numerous people through the course of his life.
I have included several photographs of those people along with comments Walter made about them.
Some of the photographs are of well-known trappers including EJ Dailey, Herb Lenon, Ed Danko, Pat Sedlak, V.E. Lynch, O.L. Butcher, Frank Terry, Oscar Cronk, Jim Mast, and others.
Walter also corresponded with other notable trappers including George Thiessen, Edwin F. Keith, John Kleffman, Ed Howe, Claude E. Marble, Raymond Thompson, Willie T. Harmon, Walter A. Gibbs, Frances E. Adams, Gene Hill, and Pete Rickard.
Walter’s trapping partners included his father, brother, Clifton McIntire, Adin Green, Bill Gourley, Walter Tozier, Stan Howland, Paul Stubbs Jr and Wendell Shaw.
He was heavily influenced by his interaction with Margaret Brown Glassford, Howard Whiting, Charlie Temple, and Robert and Terris Moore.
He had many pets, mostly wildlife, with one exception – Berg, a farm cat.
His wildlife pets included Elmer Gnawwood – the beaver, Chuck – the woodchuck, Harry and Harriet – woodpeckers, Susie – deer, Gentleman Jim – Susie’s son, Red Wing – Susie’s daughter and Red – the fox.
Photographs in this book were taken long ago by Walter or others.
Many had imperfections on them.
I did not try to enhance or repair the photographs as many were one of a kind.
Over two hundred articles by and about Walter were researched for this book.
I probably missed some that I do not know about.
I know I missed one for sure unless it was never written.
From November 1961 to September 1964, Walter had a series of articles in Fur Fish Game titled “From the Deacon Seat.”
The first one was in November 1961 with a continuation in December 1961.
Chapter Two was in the July 1962 issue and Chapter Four was in the September 1964 issue.
I could not find Chapter Three in issues August 1962 to August 1964.
Did he forget a chapter or did I miss it?
If you find Chapter Three, I would be interested in a copy.
Walter was easily quotable, so I will start the book with a quote that will lay the groundwork.
In 1977, Walter made the following comment.
I have farmed and trapped and guided and run trout hatcheries and bossed the river and run a trapper’s mail order business and written four books on trapping and lived in the woods.
Mister, I like to do things.
As you read through the book, I think you will agree the last sentence was an understatement.
Contents
Foreword…………………………………………………………………...……………...6
Chapter 1 – Family………………………………………………………………………...8
Father Knows Best………………………………………………………………..8
All Walter’s Children……………………………………………………………22
Chapter 2 – A Complete World All by Itself…………………………………………….27
The Big Bowl…………………..………………………………………………..27
Ray………………………………………………………………………………30
Chapter 3 – Walter of all Trades…………………………………………………………35
Logger…………………………………………………………………………...35
Guide…………………………………………………………………………….42
Willimantic Fur Farm…………………………………………………………...52
Pearling………………………………………………………………………….53
Borestone………………………………………………………………………..53
Soldier…………………………………………………………………………...62
City Slicker……………………………………………………………………...65
Gumming………………………………………………………………………..66
Warden…………………………………………………………………………..73
Stockholder……………………………………………………………………...73
School Trustee…………………………………………………………………..73
Stamps…………………………………………………………………………...74
Bait………………………………………………………………………………74
Ginseng………………………………………………………………………….75
Bottle Hunting…………………………………………………………………...76
Chapter 4 – Walter L. Arnold & Co…………………..…………………………………77
Business as Usual……………………………………………………………….77
Not Much of Anything…………………………………………………………..83
The Campbells-Fairbanks Expositions………………………………………….89
Oscar Cronk……………………………………………………………………..99
Chapter 5 – Partners…………………………………………………………………….107
Combining Business with Pleasure…………………………………………….107
Pig Snouts……………………………………………………………………...130
Human Otter…………………………………………………………………...141
Son-in-Law…………………………………………………………………….147
Picture in the Paper…………………………………………………………….154
Chapter 6 – Trappers and Hunters……………………………………………………...156
Ed Howe……………………………………………………………………….156
G.R. Hunnewell………………………………………………………………..160
Willie T. Harmon………………………………………………………………160
Ma Green………………………………………………………………………161
Adin Green……………………………………………………………………..162
Clifton McIntire………………………………………………………………..163
N.C. Burbank…………………………………………………………………..163
Raymond Thompson…………………………………………………………...165
Dailey, Hawbaker and Devoe………………………………………………….166
Herb Lenon…………………………………………………………………….168
Pete Rickard……………………………………………………………………170
Eustice Judkins………………………………………………………………...172
Frank Terry…………………………………………………………………….173
Charlie Temple………………………………………………………………...174
Walt Soule and Hank Bither…………………………………………………...179
Roger Fablone………………………………………………………………….181
O.L. Butcher…………………………………………………………………...182
Donald Jack Anderson…………………………………………………………183
Myron Smart…………………………………………………………………...184
George Theissen……………………………………………………………….185
Chapter 7 – Traps and Firearms………………………………………………………...186
Give Them the Works………………………………………………………….186
BANG! He Will Get His Face Full of Powder and Ball……………………….190
Oneida Community Limited and Animal Trap Company……………………..198
Triumph Trap Company and W.A. Gibbs & Son……………………………...200
Blake & Lamb………………………………………………………………….205
Complete Respect……………………………………………………………...206
Chapter 8 – Trappers Organizations……………………………………………………212
The Minority Must Be Good Losers…………………………………………...212
Mamie and the Beaver Coat……………………………………………………220
Regional Associations………………………………………………………….225
Chapter 9 – Cabin Life………………………………………………………………….231
Peggy…………………………………………………………………………..231
The Cabin on Indian Pond……………………………………………………..235
Back into the Woods…………………………………………………………...239
Cabins for Others………………………………………………………………244
Ride the Lightning……………………………………………………………..248
By His Lonesome………………………………………………………………249
Chapter 10 – Planes, Trails and Automobiles…………………………………………..258
Folsom’s Flying Service……………………………………………………….258
The Monster……………………………………………………………………261
Walter’s First Car………………………………………………………………264
Chapter 11 – Pets……………………………………………………………………….267
John Q. Berg…………………………………………………………………...267
Elmer Gnawwood……………………………………………………………...268
Chuck…………………………………………………………………………..270
Harry and Harriet………………………………………………………………272
Susie……………………………………………………………………………272
Chapter 12 – Wildlife…………………………………………………………………...276
Beaver………………………………………………………………………….276
Bear…………………………………………………………………………….278
Just Plain Bunk………………………………………………………………...281
Fisher…………………………………………………………………………..289
Moose………………………………………………………………………….297
Marten………………………………………………………………………….299
Buffalo…………………………………………………………………………301
Chapter 13 – But We Forget It All When We Make a Big Haul……………………….302
Indian Pond No More………………………………………………………….302
School of Hard Knocks………………………………………………………..308
End of the Line………………………………………………………………...312
References………………………………………………………………………………314