Evening journal., 1898-12-16
GApR1EL sAILEs.

DELPHI, 100 acres. 2s0d.
These farms were in what Is now and
was probably then called oxford Neck,
on the left-hand side OF the public road
and rich agricultural section. Since
SALES 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 Salles, nor ever saw anyone that
did see him. He left no descendants. 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 well 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 n mighty man in tallness and
strength measuring, it is said, six feet
eight inches IN height, and of splendid
physical and muscular development.
| Many stories are told Of his feats Of
great strength the hest one Of
which Is this Tho fame of this powerful
man had gone far abroad. II had even
reached New York city, where eXag-
gerated stories Of his feats and prOWess
had been told among men who considered
| they were something Of giants them
SELVES The most notorious pugilist I'm the
country at that time was q big and pow
| erful New Yorker named Garth or
i
pugilistic art, had whipped many a man
and had never been bested himself He
/ heard so much Of SALES and what
he could do, he got mad and determined
to find him and whip him. one hog-kll-
| ing day in "a November stranger rode up
| to the Sailes house. Are you Mr. Ga
| briel Sales?" he demanded eyes;
what'n ye have?" said the Eastern Shore
man to the New Yorker and he was not
a bit startled al the latter's reply. MY
names Garth: l am a lighting man from
New York; ! have heard OF you as a
! fighter, and / have come all the way down
here to whip you" "All right" said the
Eastern Shoreman. wait minute until
1 kill this beef" In those days. and fire.
| quently In these, Il was the custom TO
wing up the proceedings Of hog-killlng
day by slaughtering a beef for Christmas.
| The animal this time was a big OK. He
was brought up In front Of SALES, who
| struck him between the eyes with his
! right fist and knocked him down. After
cutting the ox's jugular, he turned about
to announce TO the New Yorker that he
was ready to accommodate him. but that
| worthy was riding out the lane, on his
way back TO New York.
1t is not related of him that he was par
lticularly cruel to his slaves. But he must
have been pranky with them. 1t Is told
that when they asked Mas Gabrer' for
a holiday he would eXclaim: Holiday, ye
black rascals. Yes, ye shall have holt
day" and would compel them to climb up
on top the barn and sit straddle Of the
roof-ridge all day. Twenty years ago a
gentleman. then Is years old, told the mar
nator that his father. when a small boy,
| had seen the negroes sitting as raddle
the top Of Gabriel Sales barn like so
many crows.
But the most singular freak of this most
extraordinary man was connected with
his death and burial. He had his coffin
| made while yet alive. 1t was made Of
two-inch white oak stun, cut and sawed
in the midnight hours in a grove Of white
oaks on a headland called 'The Devils s
| Keep" The coffin was open at both
ends. He directed-the writing IS still ex-
tant-that a jug Of whiskey be placed at
one end of the coffin anda plug of tobacco
In the other, so that II the devil comes in
at either end he will stop to take a chaw
or a drink, and / will get out at the
other" Most fantistic notion, but 1t Is
said that It was done for the purpose of
showing what he thought Of rum and to-
bacco. Of which he used to say: They
are a part Of the DEVILS diet and not tit
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 Il were open. and In one end
was a jug. A record of the fact and the
findings was made at the time Another
OF the fantastic directions was that the
grave should be dug north and south, IN
stead OF east and west. and a holly tree
planted at each end. This was done The
= hoilies are living yet-big and venerable
trees He died about 1900
Whoever writes the biographical annal.
, OF Talbot county and leaves out mention
OF this remarkable man leaves his worl
incomplete. These are a few OF the stories
and anecdotes. some serious. some conf
= cal. tradition keeps alive from generation
20 generation. The farm where the dwell
ing OF Sailes stood, now reduced to IA
acres. Is described on the present assess
ment books Of the county as THE Sale.
l. Farm"
s been published in any form. Some sal
Z he had been a Portuguese sailor befOr
settling I'm Talbot, but his great slz