After leaving school, he worked on a farm in northern Illinois before taking a job in the oil fields with a friend from Indiana. By the age of 18, he had already worked in the oil fields across four states. Arthur remained in Gillette and continued his career in the oil fields, working long hours and traveling extensively for major oil companies. Throughout his life, he had countless stories to tell about his years in the oil fields and the people he met along the way. After returning from Germany, Arthur worked throughout the western United States before eventually moving back to Illinois for several years.