Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-04-05
WATERVILLE.
HALF A CENTURY.
W. B. Arnold Has Been En-
gagged in Active Business
Fifty Years Today and on Same Site
Where He Started.
Congratulations Will Be rendered b>
Many Scores Of Friends.

business life, today. There is not now
a firm on the street or an individual
who was in business when Mr. Arnold
began as an apprentice. If one of Mr..
Arnold'S old customers should return
they could find his store all right for
it is located on the very SPOT where he
started, but they would hardly recog-
nize the building either from the inter
iOr or exterior. The old brick block in
which Mr.. Arnold began has been re-
modelled into modern block and on the
inside is a complete hardware store,
modern in every respect and employing
eight people where the old store never
had more than three men and boy.
and usually two men with the boy.
The stock carried by the hardware
store of the present has changed in
character as much as other things and
the best clerk of the old days would be
completely bcwildered in the present
store. Line after line has been added
until it is now a matter of years in
training a hardware clerk. The profits
of the business have become smaller as
the years have passed until at present
it is one of the most delicate and diff
cult branches of business in which to
make success.
Few men knew the business more
thoroughly than Mr.. Arnold. who has
followed it through all it's moods and
lenses for 90 years, and has made Il
success of it from the start. He began
as an apprentice, April 5, 1852, binding
himself, according to the custom of the
day, to his employer for term of
three years. 1t is an interesting fact
for the young man of the present, who
is a bit inclined to object to the small
wages he receives while getting his
business education and training that
Mr.. Arnold received the munificent sum
of $50 for his first years work and
boarded and clothed himself out of that
For the second year he received a small
advance, getting $50 and for the third
year he was paid $3.50, as he was then a
skilled workman, we'll versed in his
trade, and foreman Of the shop.
The story has already been told in the
Journal about the herring that was a
part of Mr.. ArnOld's luncheon on that
first day he went to work, but it will
bear repeating here. His first day was
naturally long one to him and he be-
came hungry during the forenoon. So
he went out and purchased a bit of a
lunch. the smoked herring being a
prominent feature in the menue. One
remained after hunger had been ap-
peased and this was naild up on the
side of the shop. The herring is still
there in practically the same spot
where it was placed a half century ago,
a pleasing reminder Of the struggles of
the start
The firm to which Mr.. Arnold bound
himself out was Dunn, Eden &, Co,
and on the completion of his apprentice
ship they made proposition to him 10
go down into the store and learn the
business as clerk. This was accepted
and Mr.. Arnold served in that capacity
four or five years, mastering the de-
tails of the business.
After getting the swing of things a
bit he commenced to do the buying for
the firm. This was more of job than
at present. There were no travelling
statesmen in those days and the bust
ness men or their representatives had
to go to Boston or New York and make
their purchases from the wholesalers
personally. Boston was the headquar-
tiers for the business of New Englanu
and it was to that place that trips were
made most often.
These buying trips had to be made
every month or six weeks. The old An
droscoggin & Kennebec Railroad had
reached Watervilie in 40 and this made
the trip much easier. The usual route
was to Hallowell by rail and thence to
the Hub by boat, although the trip was
often made wholly by rail.
Mr.. Arnold served as clerk until
1863 when the firm was changed to FL
den & Herrick. About this time Mr.
Eden proposed to Mr.. Arnold that he
purchase Mr.. Herrick's interest in the
business. Mr.. Arnold had managed to
save $500 out Of his small salary and
on the completion of his apprenticeship
was presented with $500, the $1,000 being
his available cash capital. But he sue
ceeded in raising what more was need
ed and bought half interest in the
business. In September, 1868. No ac-
count of stock was taken, but the value
of the stock was Jumped, both men be-
ing willing to take their chances on the
estimate. The firm name then became
Eden & Arnold.
In April, the following spring, Mr..
Eden died very suddenly. The loss to
the business was keen one as Mr.. Ell
den was a thorough business man anG
perfecthly familiar with all the details
and very successful in it's management
After the death of Mr.. Eden, Mr.. Ar
mold took in Nathaniel Meader as q
partner and the firm became Arnold &
Meader. This partnership continued
successfully until 1875, when Mr. Ar
mold purchased Mr.. Meader's interest
in stock and store. He then conducted
the business alone for a short time,
selling out to G. A. Phillips with the
agreement that he should not open a
hardware store in competition with him
for five years.
Mr.. Arnold then retired from the
hardware business for five years, en-
gaging in various pursuits, including
mining in Colorado and the grocery
business. His mining interests took
him West temporarily and he spent
some time in the Rock mountains. Dur
ing this interval he purchased and sold
again the grocery store Of ]. p. Caffery.
This store will be we'll remembered b.
the Older citizens.
Mr.. Phillips had been educated to the