Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1899-01-21
KILLED AN OK
WITH HIS FIST.
Stories of a Talbot County
Giant of a Hundred
Years Ago

Giant or q Hundred
Years Ago
EoSton Ledgcr.
On the Talbot County Debt Book
for Omit Claims. Michaelmas. 1852"
made by Col Edward Tilghman for
Henry Hollyday, Esq, representing the
interests of the late Lord Proprietor.
what was due on quit claims at that
date, appears the following entry:
GABRIEL. SALES,
Rich Range. 300 acres IS. Cd.
DELPHI, 100 acres, IS. Cd.
] These farms were in what is now and
/ was probobly then called Oxford Neck,
on the left hand side of the public road
fron Hambleton to Oxford. i'll pretty
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 Sales, nor ever say any one
that did see him. He left no decend-
ants. and as far as is known to the mar
rator or to the people he has talked with,
there is no one of his kindred living.
Bat his name is as well known TO this
generation as that of any of his con-
temporarics-better known than nearly
all of them The stories told about him
and the traditions attaching to the place
keep his name in remembrance.
He was mighty man i'll tallness and
in strength. measuring. we are told, six
feet eight inches in height and of SPLEEN
did physical and muscular Development.
Many stories are told OF his fcats of
strength. and the best one of which is
this: The fame of this powerful man
has gone far abroad. 1t had even reach
ed New York City, where exaggerated
stories of his feats and prowess had been
told among men who considered they
were something of giants themselves.
The most notorious pugilist in the coun-
try ut that time was New Yorker
named Garth or Gocrth. He was man
of science in the pugilistic art. had
whipped many II man and had never
been beat himself He heard so much
about Gabriel Sales and what he C 'uld
do, he got mad and determined to find
him and whip him. One hog killing
day i'll November a stranger rode up To
the SALES house: Are you Mr. Gabriel
Sales - he demanded. "Yes, what II
We have = said the Eastern Shoreman
to the New Yorker, and he was not a
bit startled at the lattcr's reply. My
name : Garth; | am fighting 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 a
minute until kill this beef In those
days, and frequently in these, II was
the custom to wind up the proceedings
of hog killing day by Strengthening a
beef for Christmas The animal this
time was Il big OK. He was brought up
in front of Sales, who struck him be-
tween the eyes with his right fist and
knocked him down. After cutting the
ox's jugular. he turned about to an
nounce to the New Yorker that he was
ready to accommodate him. but that
worthy was riding rapidly ont of the
lane ON his way back to New York.
Ii is not related of him that he was
particularly cruel to his slaves, but he
must have been prauky with them. Ii
is told that when they asked MAS Ga
bricl" for holiday he would cxclaim:
Holiday, We black rascals Yes, We
shall have holiday" and would then
compel them to climb up on top the
barn and sit straddlc of the roof fridge
all day. Twenty years ago a gentle
man. then twenty-five years old. told
the narrator that his father. when a
small boy, had seen negroes sitting "a
Straddle 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. Ii was
made of two.inch white oak stuff, cut
and sawed in the midnight hours i'll u
grove uf white oaks on II headland call
cd The Devils Keep" The coffin was
writing is still cxtant--that "a jug of
whislley be- placed in one end of the
coffin and plug of tobacco i'll the other,
so that if the devil comes in at either
end he can stop to take chew or n
drink. and | will get ont ut the other. ="
Most fantastic notion, but il is said that
it was done for the purpose of showing
what h. 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 che grave was opened through
the curiosity of some skcptical people.
who affected to disbelieve the story.
The thick oak coffin was there, both
ends of il were open and in one end was
! II Jug. ~ Oi tilt tHt
findings was made ut the time. Another
of the fantastic directions was that the
grave should be dug north and SOUTH
instead of east and west, and Il holly
tree planted at each end This was done
The hollics are living yet-big and ven
cradle trees He died about 100.
Whoever writes the biographical an
mails of Talbot county and leaves ont
mention of this remarkable man leaves
his work incomplete. These are few
of the stories and anecdotes, some SER
ions. some comical, tradition keeps
alive from generation to generation.
The farm where the dwelling of SALES
stood. now reduced to 40 acres, is de
Scribed on the present assessment books
of the county as The Sales Farm.
To the Public.
We are authorized to guarantee every