The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-02-22
BIG GABRIEL SALES.
HE WAS A MIGHTY MAN IN TALLNESS
AND STRENGTH.

new Aork frizeHEhter-IIfs Queer
Mode of Burial to Cheat the Deyil.
On the Talbot county Debt Boo,,
For Quit Claims Michaclmas. 1755."
made by Colonel Edward Tilyhman fo-
Henry Hollyday, Esq. representing the
interests of the late lord proprietor.
showing what was due on quit claims
on that date. appears the following en-
try: Gabriel Sailcs-Rich Range. 800
acres. Us. 0d. DELPHI 100 acres. IS. til. =
These farms were in what is now and
was probably then called Oxford Neck.
on the left hand side of the public road
from Hambleton to Oxford. in Il pretty
and rich agricultural section Since
Sailes' day among other owners Of the
land was John Leeds Kerr. somc time
United States senator
OF course no one living ever saw
Gabriel Sailcs or ever saw any ono
that did see him. l!c left no descend
ants. and as far as is known to tho mar
ratOr or to the people he has talked
with there is no one of his kindred liv-
| ing. But his name Is rs well known to
this generation as that of any of his
contemporaries -lrttcr known than
nearly all of them. The stories told
about him and the traditions attaching
to the'placc keep his name in remcnl-
hrancc.
He was mighty man in tallncss and
strength. measuring. we are told. & feet
: inches i'll height. and of splendid
physical AMI muscular development
Many stories are told of his fca.s of
strength. The best 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
MS tcats and prowcsS had been told
among men who considered they were
| something of giants themselves. Tho
J most notorious pugilist in the country
at that time was IL dig and powerful
New Yorker named Garth. or Gocrtl
He was Il man OF science in the pu-
gilistic art, had whipped many Il man
and had never been bcstc.l himself He
heard SO much about Gabriel Sales and
what he could do that lie got mad and
determined to find him and whip him.
One hog killing day III November a
stranger rode up to the Sales house
care You Mr.. Gabriel Sailes 2" he de-
|
the eastern shore man to the New York
er, and he was not IL bit startled at tho
latter reply. my names Garth am
n fighting man from New York l have
heard of you as fighter and have
come all the way down here to whip
you!"
"All right. said the eastern shore
man, wait minute until kill this
beef. In those days. and frequently in
| these, it was the custom to wind ND the
proceedings of hog killing day by
slaughtering beef for Christmas. The
animal this time was IL big on 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 lie 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
| 1t is not related of him that he was
| particularly cruel to his slaves. But he
must have been pranky with them. 1t
ls told that when they asked Mas
Gabriel for q holiday he would ex-
claim Holiday, ye black rascalsl
Yes. so shall have holiday and would
then compel them to climb up on top
| the barn and sit straddlo Of tho roof
ridge all day. Twenty years ago n gen
| tleman, then 70 years old, told the mar
rator that his father when n small boy,
had seen the negroes sitting a-straddlc
the top of Gabriel SALES barn like 50
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 stuff, cut
and sawed in the midnight hours in n
grove of white oaks on headland called
tho Devils Keep. The coffin was open
| at both ends. He dirccted-the writing
is still extant-that ''a jug Of whisky
be placed in one end of the coffin and {.
plug of tobacco in the other. so that if
the devil comes in ut either end he will
| stop to take a chaw or drink. and
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 open
! ed through the curiosity of some skep-
tical people. who affected to disbelieve
the story. The thick oak coffin was
there. both ends Of it were open. and
~ one end was jug. A record Of the
fact and the findings was made at the
time. Another Of the fantastic direc-
tions was that the grave should be dug
north and south instead of east and
west and a holly tree planted ut each
end This was done. The hollies are liv-
ing yet-big venerable trees He died
about 1860.
Whoever writes the biographical an
nails OF Talbot county and leaves out
mention of this remarkable man leaves
his work incomplete. These are few
, of the stories and anecdotes, scme seri-
Ons, some comical. tradition keeps alive