Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-12-21
France, and raised such enthusiasm
that it became fashion after twenty
years. marriage to celebrate silver
wedding.
GARBIEL SALES, GIANT.


GARBIEL SALES, GIANT.
Stories About q Half Forgotten Strong
Man of Maryland.
Baltimore Sun.
EAsToN, Nd, December 1S.-On the
Talbot county "Debt Book or Quiet
Claims, Michealmas, 1885," made by
Colonel Edward Tilghman for Henry
Hollyday, Esq.,, representing the inter-
ests of the late lord proprietor, show
ing what was done on quiet claims at
that date, appears the following entry:
GARBIEL SALES.
Rich Range, 300 acres, IS. Cd.
Relph, 100 acres, % Cd.
These farms were in what Is now
probably called Oxford Neck, on the
left hand side of the public road from
Hambleton to Oxford, in a pretty and
rich agricultural section Since
Sailes's day, among other owners of the
land was John Leeds Kerr, some time
| United States senator.
| Of course no one now living ever
saw Gabriel Sailes, nor ever saw any
one that did see him. He left no de-
scendants, and as far as is known to
the narrator or to the people he has
talked with, there is no one of his
kindred living. But his name is as
we'll known to this generation as that
of any of his contemporaries-better
known than nearly all of them. The
stories told about him and the tradi-
tions attaching to the place, keep his
name in remembrance.
He was mighty man in tallness and
strength, measuring, we are told, 6
feet inches in height and of splendid
physical and muscular development.
Many stories are told of his feats of
strength, the best one of which is this:
The fame of this powerful man had
|gone far abroad. 1t had even reached
New York city, where exaggerated
stories of his feats and powers had been
told among men who considered they
were something of giants themselves.
The most notorious pugilist in the
country at that time was big and
powerful New Yorker named Garth,
or Goerth. He was a man of science
in the pugilistic art, had whipped
many a man and had never been best
ed himself. He heard 30 much about
Gabriel Sailes and what he could do,
be got mad and determined to find
him and whip him. One hog-killing
day in November stranger rode up
to the Sailes house. care you Mr..
Gabriel Sailes ?" he demanded. ayes;
what'll ye have ?" said the eastern
shoreman to the New Yorker, and he
was not a bit startled at the latter's
reply. "My names Garth; am
fighting man from New York I have
heard of you as fighter and I have
come all the way down here to whip
you !" Gall right" said the eastern
shoreman "wait minute until I kill
this beef" In those days, and fire.
quently in these, it was the custom to
wind up the proceedings of hog-killing
day by slaughtering beef for Christ
mas. The animal this time was big
OK. He was brought up in front of
Sailes, who struck him between the
eyes with his right fist and knocked
him down. After cutting the ox's
Ijugular, he turned about to announce
to the New Yorker that he was ready
to accommodate him but that worthy
was riding rapidly out the lane, on his
way back to New York.
It is not related of him that he was
particularly cruel to his slaves. But he
must have been pranky with them. 1t
is told that when they asked "Mas'
Gabriep for holiday he would ex-
claim: "Holiday, ye black rascals.
Yes, We shall have holiday" and would
then compel them to climb up on top
the barn and sit straddle of the roof
bridge all day. Twenty years ago
gentleman, then rs years old, told the
narrator that his father, when small
boy, had seen the Negroes sitting a
straddle the top of Gabriel Sailes's
barn like 80 many crows.
But the most singular freak of this
extraordinary man was connected with
his death and burial. He had his cof-
fin made while yet alive. 1t was made
of 2-inch white oak stuff, cut and
sawed in the midnight hours in grove
of white oaks on q headland called
"The DEVILS Keep" The coffin was
open at both ends. He directed-the
writing is still extant-that "a jug of
whisky be placed in one end of the cof-
fin aud plug of tobacco in the other,
so that if the devil comes in at either
end he will stop to take chaw or
drink, and I will get out at the other"
Most fantastic notion; but it is said
that it was done for the purpose of
showing what he thought of rum and
tobacco, of which he used to say:
"They are part of the DEVILS diet,
and not fit for white men to use." In
the early part of this century the grave
was opened through the curiosity of
some skeptical people, who affected to
disbelieve the story. The thick oak
coffin was there. Both ends of it were
open, and in one end was a jug. A
record of the fact and findings was
made at the time. Another of the
fantastic directions was that the grave
should be dug north and south, instead
of east and west, and a holly tree
planted at each end. This was done.
The hollies are living yet-big and
venerable trees. He died about 1850.
p~ AS gentleman and lady were
taking ride in the country, they came
to farmhouse where all things looked
so nice and neat that thew concluded