Charles Wesley Ellis had lived the kind of life that seemed to collect stories.
Years before the Civil War, while splitting rails in Tennessee, Ellis encountered a remarkably tall stranger who criticized the way he handled an ax. Ellis challenged him to do better, and watched as the man thoroughly outworked him.
Years later, while serving as a Union soldier, Ellis was ordered to shave a visiting civilian. He recognized the man as the same rail-splitting stranger and complained openly about the difficulty of shaving his stiff beard.
Only after the man left did Ellis learn who had been sitting in his chair.
According to this 1922 newspaper account, the stranger was Abraham Lincoln.
Unusual Folk
ADA, Oklahoma. — Many years ago, Charles Wesley Ellis was splitting rails in a bunch of timber in Tennessee. An enormously tall, gangling stranger passed that way. He criticized Ellis’ axmanship.
“Maybe you can do better,” said Ellis with a sneer.
Thereat, the stranger took his ax and out-split him so far that Ellis frankly admitted him the better man.
Later, Ellis was a Union soldier in the Civil War. He was pretty good with a razor as well as an ax. One day his superior officer called on him to shave a visiting civilian. This civilian was none other than Ellis’ acquaintance of the rail-splitting incident. As he shaved him Ellis abused him roundly for having so stiff a beard.
The shave over, the stranger gave him $10 and a plug of tobacco, then went away.
“Who was that?” Ellis asked his superior officer.
“President Lincoln,” the superior officer said.
Ellis was born in Alaska. He has relatives in Greenland today. He has lived in every state in the Union. He became a preacher late in life and kept it up until two years ago. Ada is his home.
Source: The Indianapolis Times. Indianapolis, Ind. June 26, 1922.
