Written By Alice Gibb
The following is one of those quirky stories that researchers happen upon when browsing through old newspapers. It relates the odd tale of William Ellwood, 68, a former Lucan merchant, whose pride almost proved fatal.
One Sunday afternoon in July 1880, some boys from Clinton wandered down the Bayfield River to Cook’s mill dam, close to the railroad tracks. On the south side of the river sat an abandoned frame house, often used by tramps passing through the neighborhood. One of the boys ventured inside the ramshackle building, and to his amazement, stumbled upon a well-dressed man slumped in a corner of the garret. He called in his companions, and the boys realized that the man was alive, but so weak that all he could do was whisper. He did manage to ask for water, which one of the boys carried from the river. The boys, who had located an old can on the premises, then milked a cow in a nearby field, providing Mr.
Ellwood with a drink of fresh milk. They also found someone who gave them fresh eggs, and bread, but the starving man couldn’t swallow the solid foods.
William Ellwood, it transpired, had been lying in the building for at least eight days. The boys went for assistance and the traveling salesman was transported to Granton – likely to the home of someone he knew. There Mr. Chidley procured medical attention for his emaciated patient.
Mr. Ellwood, it turned out, had lost his Lucan business, and so took to the road, calling on farmers to sell them agricultural implements. He had left Lucan on June 15, taking along just a slice of bread for lunch.
He traveled as far north as the Durham line in Grey County, but had no luck in finding anyone willing to place an order for his machinery line.
Walking along the railway, he headed back south to Lucan – feeling increasingly ill as he went. Finally, spotting the abandoned farmhouse in the Clinton area, he took refuge there.
When asked why he hadn’t approached explained his hungry state to the farmers he visited, Mr. Ellwood replied, “he would not beg and he could not steal.” For the first three mornings at the house, he managed to crawl down to the Bayfield River for water, but then simply became too weak to move.
Happily, under the doctor’s care, Mr. Ellwood gradually recovered, mainly by drinking lots of milk. In total, aside from his slice of bread, William Ellwood had survived without food for 19 days.
We’re left to wonder if Ellwood, who would be retired and collecting a pension today, ever returned to his traveling salesman’s job. And did his extreme pride almost cost him his life?
