Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-02-22
GABRIEL SALES.
Rich Range, 800 acres, IS. Cd.
DELPHI, 100 acres, IS. Cd. ::


These farms were in what is now and
was probably then called oxford Neck,
on the lefthand side of the public road
from Hambleton to Oxford, in a pretty
and rich agricultural section. Since
Sales day, among other owners OF the
land was John Leeds Kerr, some tins
United States senator.
Of course, no one now living ever saw
Gabriel SALES, or ever saw any one that
did see him.. He left no descendants,
and as far as it 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 tradiA
tions attaching to the place keep his
| name in remembrance.
He was a mighty man in taNness and
strength, measuring, we are told, six feet
eight 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:
Thc fame of this powerful man had gone
far abroad. 1t had even reached New
York city, where exaggerated stories OF
his fcats and proves had been told
among men who considered they We're
something of giants themselves. The
most notorious pugilist in the countr at
that time was a big and powerful New
Yorker named Garth. or GOerth. He was
a man of science in the pugilistic art, had
whipped many a man, ana had never
been bcsted himself. He heard so much
about Gabriel SALES and what he could
do, he got mad and determined to find
him and whip him.. One hog-killln9 day
in a November a stranger rode up to the
Sales house.
Are you Mr.. Gabriel sailes?' he de-
manded.
Yes; whatu We have?' said the East
ern Shore man to the New Yorker, and
he was not a bit startled at the ~latter's
reply.
My names Garth; I am a fighting man
from New York; 1 have heard of you as
a fighter, and I have come all the way
down here to whip you!"
A right said the Eastern Shore
man, "wait a minute until l kill this
beef"
In those days, and frequently in these,
it was the custom to wind up the pro-
ceedings of hoo-killing day by slaughter
ing a beef for Christmas. The animal
this time was a 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 %jusular, he turned about to an
nounce to the New Yorker that he was
ready to accommodate him, but that
WOlluS Was IlIlHS ldlluly Jul Il the
lane, on his way bach 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 Gabriel
for a holiday he would eXclaim:
Holiday, We black rascals. Yes, We
shall have a holiday and would Their
compel them to climb up on top of the
barn and sit straddle of the roof-ridgc
all day.
Twenty years ago a gentleman, then Z;
years old, told the narrator that his
father, when a small boy, had seen the
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
l coffin made while yet alive. 1t was made
| of twO-inch white oak stuff, cut anG
l sawed in the midnight hours in a grove
: of white oaks on a headiand called "Th(
5 DEVILS Keep The coffin was open al
both ends. He directed-the writing is
still extant-that "a jus of whisky be
| placed in one end of the coffin and a plug
5 of tobacco in the other, so that if the
5 devil comes IN at either end he will stoI
, to take a chaw or a drink, and l will gel
: out at the other
Most fantastic notion, but it is sale
that it was done for the purpose of show
= ing what he thought of rum and tobacco
2 Oh WHICH lie uS6u 10 say.
"They are a part of the DEVILS diet, anC
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 tC
= disbelieve the story. The thick oak cot.
, fin was there, both ends of it 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 wa:
that the grave should be dug north anC
I south, instead of east and west, and {
' holly tree planted at each end. This was
3 done. The hollies are living yet-big an(
venerable trees. Sales died about 1860.
I Whoever writes the biographical ANIMAL!
of Talbot county and leaves out mention
of this remarkable man leaves his work
incomplete. These are a few of the stories
and anecdotes, some serious, come com,
:. ical, tradition keeps alive from genera.
l ton to generation. The farm where the
V dwelling of Sales stood, now reduced tC
} 140 acres, is described on the present as.
sessment books of the county as ''Tht
, Sales Farm
The story of Gabriel Sales has never
been published in any form-I rather
should say the stories about him hayt
not. l can find out nothing about hi
! nativity. Some say he had been a Por
tuguese sailor before settling in Talbot
but his great size would seem to contra
4 dict that.
It "SHY" EIGHT CENTS.