The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1900-07-19
BIG GABRIEL SALES.
HE WAS A MIGHTY MAN IN TALLNEsS
AND STRENGTH.

How He FelIed am OK With . Blew |
From His Fist and Scared Away q
New York Prixefghter-His Queer |
Mode Of Burial to Cheat the Devil. 4
On the Talbot county "Debt Book |
For Quit Claims, Michaelmas. 1885,"
made by Colonel Edward Tilghman for
Henry Hollyday, Esq. representing the
interests Of the late lord proprietor.
what was due on quit claims
on that date, appears the following en-
try: Gabriel Sales Rich Range, 800
acres, 6s. Cd. DELPHI, 100 acres. 2s. 3D..
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 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 living ever saw
Gabriel Sales or ever saw any one
that did see him. He left no descend
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 liv-
ing. But his name is as WI Il known to
this generation as that of any of his
contemporaries-bet known than
nearly all of them. The stories told
about him and the traditions attaching
to the place keep his name in remem-
brance.
He was a mighty man in tallness and
strength, measuring, we are told, feet
8 inches in height, and of splendid
physical and muscular development.
Many stories are told of his feats of
strength, the best of which is this: The
fame of this powerful man had gone
far abroad It had even reached New
York city. where exaggerated stories of
his feats and proves 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 pu
gilistic art, had whipped many man
and had never been bested himself. He
heard SO much about Gabriel Sales and
what he could do that he got mad and
determined to find him and whip him.
One hog killing day in November a
stranger rode up to the Sales house.
care you Mr.. Gabriel Sailes2' he de-
manded. eyes What'u ye have2" said
the eastern shore man to the New York
er, and he was not bit startled at the
latter reply. "My names Garth. am
fighting man from New York. l have
heard of you as fighter. and have
come all the way down here to whip
you'll"
"All 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
proceedings of hog killing day by
slaughtering beef for Christmas. The
animal this time was 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 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. II
| is told that when they asked ''Masi
Gabriel for holiday he would exl
claim: Holiday, ye black rascals
Yes, ye shall have holiday" and would
then compel them to climb up on top
| the barn and sit straddle of the root
ridge all day. Twenty years ago gen.
tleman, then rs years old, told the mar
rator that his father, when a small boy,
had seen the negroes sitting a-straddle
| the top of Gabriel Sales barn like SC
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 a
grove of white oaks ON a 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 coffin and g
| plug of tobacco in the other. so that il
the devil comes in at 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 an6
tobacco, of which he used to say, ''TheJ
are a part of the devils diet and not fiji
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 disbelievt
the story. The thick oak coffin wal
there. beth ends of it were open, ani
in one end was jug. A record Of thu
fact and the findings was made at thu
time Another of the fantastic direc
tions was that the grave should be due
north and south instead of east ani
west and holly tree planted at eacl
end This was done. The hollies are iv
ing yet-big venerable trees He diet
about 1850.
Whoever writes the biographical an
mails of Talbot county and leaves on
mention of this remarkable man leavo
his work incomplete. These are few
of the stories and anecdotes. some seri
GUS, some comical. tradition keeps aliv
from generation to generation. TIL
farm where the dwelling of Sales stood
now reduced to 40 acres, is described
as the Sales farm.
The story of Gabriel Sales has neve
been published in any form: rathe
should say the stories about him hav
not. l can find out nothing about hi
nativity. Some say he had been Por
tuguese sailor before settling in Talbot
but his great size would seem to con
tradict that-Baltimore Sun.
Like the Rest of Us.
George, DEAR" she said a night OF
two before the wedding, do you thinl
it possible that our love and our mar
ried life can become the commonplace
coldly practical love and life of thu