Injuries Put Dent In Can Man’s Routine

Thu., March 28, 1996

Bruce Krasnow

Clyde Arnold hobbles along with a bruised groin and bandaged hand.

A fixture in the West Central neighborhood as he made his rounds of alleys and porches to gather aluminum cans, Arnold, 87, isn’t as mobile these days as he was just a few weeks ago.

“Twenty-seven miles a day I used to do,” he said. “I ain’t done nothing in the last month,” said Arnold, sitting on the front porch of the Summit Manor group home, 3110 W. Boone.

Arnold was pushing his shopping cart in an alley on Feb. 9 when he apparently fell and crashed onto the pavement. A woman who lives nearby drove him to the hospital.

“To tell you the truth, I don’t know what happened,” said Arnold, who brags that he’s traveled by railcar through 48 states.

“I was out on my route Friday at 3:30 p.m., and I woke up at Deaconess Hospital Tuesday morning.”

His hand was broken in four places, his face and back of the head were bruised, he had two black eyes, and his stomach hurt. Arnold said the injuries indicate he may have been beaten, but there is no proof of that. No one seems to have seen what happened.

Regardless, Arnold is mending and last week underwent surgery to repair a double hernia. Still, it’s unlikely he’ll be out on his 27-mile daily walks anytime soon.

“We sure miss him. He was kind of our landmark,” said Janice Messerschmidt, vice president of COPS West, the neighborhood community policing effort. “We’re looking forward to seeing him again.”

Arnold walked 14 hours a day to gather up the cans, which would net him about $5 a day. He also lives off Social Security.

He’s turned down offers for part-time work because the walking gets him outside and fit. He used to weigh more than 300 pounds but is now a trim 165.

In the meantime, volunteers at COPS West are asking residents to bring their cans to the police substation at 1901 W. Boone. The volunteers will make sure the aluminum gets locked up and delivered to Arnold or taken to Clark’s Recycling on West Sinto.

“We have a few that have come in already,” said Messerschmidt.

Tona Sloan, administrator at Summit Manor, said many people have come by asking about Arnold, and some have saved their cans and delivered them personally.

“Everybody looks after Clyde,” said Sloan. “It makes his day to know people are concerned and care for him.”

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.