The morning call., 1894-11-25
Daniel O'Keefe Has Plenty
of Both.
HE IS GOING TO VISIT US.
One of the Most Remarkable Men
of the Age.
HE MAINTAINS A SMALL ARMY.
And Owns Group of IsIands-Is
Worth Two TlilIion Dollars
or More.

Daniel d. O'Keefe, the monarch OF al
he surveys in the S.. Davids Islands.
sailor, trader and millionaire. is coming
from his home at zap, in the CarollneS, TO
America. He is one OF the most remark
able millionaires of the present age. He
will not come in purple and fine linen, nor
will be bs accompanied i'll his travels by
servants. Daniel d. O'Keefe never Is
bothered by such things.
And who is this OKeefe? may be asked.
He is the autocrat of the South Seas, the
owner of a fleet of trading vessels and pro-
prietor of half the waterfront of Hong
Kong. He has been especially favored by
the Queen of England and is owner and
ruler over the ST. David group of islands.
His fortune is estimated at $4,000, 900, but
Notwithstanding his vast earthly possess
sions he dresses when at home in pair of
overalls and Slouch hat. When he visits
the st. Davids be does as the natives do
goes about clad In broad smile and a
string of banana leaves.
Daniel D. O'Keefe makes his head
quarters zap. He was too far south TO
attract the attention of Robert Louis
Stevenson, or undoubtedly thar author
would have had the mans character
sketcned in some chapter of his works.
0'Keefe is a remarkable man. His
history Is most Interesting. He is an Irish
man by birth and q sailor by occupation.
His story commenced nearly forty years
ago, when he arrived at New York from
Dublin as tOTemast-nand on a. British
ship. From New York he came t. San
Francisco and joined a vessel that was 60
ing to the Samoan Islands to trade.
The vessel subsequently went to the
Carolines, where Dan left her and started
10 dicker for cOpra. He made quite a sum
OF money, started for HOug-k0ng, bought
O Chinese junk there and returned to trade
again with the islanders. His boat made
money from the start, and with the coin
thus earned he returned TO America and
located for a while IN Savannah, Ga.
Here the sailor met and wOOed his first
wife. He married, invested some OF his
money ID Savannah property. and to-day
owns one IF the largest blocks of build
ings in the CITY.
From Georgia O'Keefe came back to San
Francisco with his bride, and from here
ne set sail for the Carolines again. settling
at zap. He bought a schooner and went
TO trading again. Everything turned to
coin that he touched and he grew wealthier
every day.
A. this time very little was known of
the ST. David Islands. They are Isolated,
and were then claimed by no country in
particular, though England was said to
own them. They had never been eX-
DioTed, SO O'keefe undertook the job. He
found that the Group consisted only of
three principal islands; that only sixteen
natives constituted its population. He
made dicker with the ruling queen to
buy the works, and afterward went to
England, was received by Victoria and
given deed to the entire possession. The
Islands were then registered IN his name.
O'Keefe then went TO WORK to coloDiZe
the group. In a few years he had 200
natives under his rule. He drilled them,
furnished them with arms, built a fort and
barracks and became powerful monarch.
On his return TO Zap, after mplishing
this task, his American wife died leaving
him pretty daughter, who was sent to
Savannah TO school soon after her mothers
burial. This daughter turned out 10 be
beautiful, accomplished woman, ana is at
present living In Savannah, married 10 one
Of the leading men Of the place. Il is to
see her that O'Keefe is now on his way TO
America after his long absence of about
twenty-five or thirty years.
About year after his wife's death the
strange man married the Queen of the ST.
Davids. Shortly afterYard he went to
Hong Kong. bought up a lot of water
front property ana also two SchoonerS.
He commenced 10 branch out and estab-
lished an immense warehouse at zap for
the reception Of COBRA. His power over
the natives and immense wealth gave him
monopoly of the copra trade In that part
of the South Seas.
More vessels were bought, and 5000, 900
worth of Improvements put into hls zap
stoTehouses and sheds. The H0ng-Kung
property advanced in value immensely,
Several big companies in Hong-kong tried
TO corner him In cOpIa, but he was too
smart for them, and several years later
got even by refusing TO sell the ships of
these firms return cargoes at less than
double the market price of copra, The
ships could not 90 back empty, and had
10 come to O'Keefe's terms.
Notwithstanding that O. Keefe's fortune
had reached the millions, he retained all
of his old habits as an uld-time trader. He
lives on the best in the land, but doesn't
dress any better than the drtiest beach
comber in the group. When he goes to
the ST. Davids, where his power is be-
yond dispute, he arrays himself like a
warrior, and depOTts himself as such. He
Furnishes his subjects severely for crime,
and has them right under his thumb. They
are all much in fear of him.
The Queen wife died and the Irishman
was married third time, again to a atiye
woman. He is as strict with his wife as
be is with his native followers, but is lot
cruel.
O'Keefe, rich as he lie, is in all kinds of
sehemes for making money. He is the
Government pilot at zap and charges
out-of-the-waY prices for his services. He
deals in liquors, and one of his favorite
pastlmes Is the game of poker. He has
taught the game to all the neighboring
chiefs and has managed to win everything
they possess from them.
Whenever O'Keefe travels he dresses
plainly, brings his servants with him, but
he buys as much of the steamer as posi-
bic and orders everything in sight. He is
hlgh liver, so lar as wines and eatables
are concerned.