Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1894-12-23
A SELF-MADE KING.
An Irish Millionaire Who Rules
 in the Caroline Islands.
By Thrift and Industry He Has Estab- nshed Profitable Trade Relations with America and China and
 Has statfdins Army.

Irishman, no longer young, is, accord ing to the San Francisco Chronicle, a moneyed prince of the tropics, easily a millionaire, and the virtual owner of tight little South sea island or two Daniel D. 0'Keefe is his name, and the islands of Yap and St David, in the Caroline group, are pretty much his private property.
 O'Keefe landed in New York about forty, years ago, and, after knocking about the metropolis for | time, shipped for a trading vessel on the South seas. From there he made his way to San Francisco and got to be captain of a little craft bound for the Carolines. His hard experience stood him in good stead and he came back to San Fran cisco with comfortable lump of money. From here he went to Sa- vannah, Ga, where he married him Q wife. With her he returned to San Francisco and fitted out q second ex- pedition to the Garolines.
 At Yap, one of the largest islands of the group, O'Keefe established the pioneer trading station, which has since become one of the largest i'll the vicinity of the equator.
 At that time little was known of St. David's island, which is in 1 degree north latitude and 134 degrees 9 min utes east longitude. 0'keefe, in his ex- plorations, landed on the island He found only sixteen inhabitants left out of large tribe The thrifty trader de- termined to get possession of the island and extend his copra interests After q long investigation he discovered that England had a prior claim to it by right of discovery. This was merely an obstacle to be cleared away and 0'Keefe promptly pushed 1t aside. He went to sEnrlana. and, 1t is said, sue ceeded in having his possession of the island confirmed, the only stipulation being that he would care for the na- tives. 0'keefe kept that part Of his contract to the letter. He proceeded at once to build n fort and then col onized the place, bringing natives from islands near by. He mounted some small cannon in the fort and armed the natives with rifles, in the use of which he instructed them fully. Then he drilled the soldiers thoroughly in the manual of arms, so that he soon had Il
 
 David against all invaders.
 Meanwhile oakeefe's wife died. leav- ing him daughter to rear The trader sent his little girl to her grandparents in Savannah, with instructions te edu- cate her in the best colleges in the land.
 Before O'Keefe acquired St. David q native woman ruled over the handful of inhabitants as queen. She was q comedy young person, and some time after the death of his wife the trader married her with due and proper ob- servance of South sea marriage cere- mony.
 All the while 0Keefe did not over look his interests in Yao Many of the natives there were heavily ia debt to him and they paid of their mortgages in copra. The trader gradually got control of the eopra in the Garelines by these methods until he had worked up n sort of corner in the sun-driea cocoa nut. Many attempts have been mado by San Francisco firms to break his O'Keefe went to Hong Kong. bought two more schooners, and branehed out still more extensively, securing control of the copra for leagues around He did not forget the companies which at- tempted to break mp his business and when they sent vessels to trade in the Carolines they had to buy copra to bring back to San Francisco, ana they had to pay the price he asked
 Hong Kong presented q good field for speculation to 0'Keefe waterfront lots were selling cheap and he bought con siderable property there. It is said that to-day his possessions aggregate nearly two-thirds of the harhor front. During the plague the 0'keefe district was one of the worst plague spots.
 The queen of St. David island died and the trader sought another wife, q white girl of Hong Kong. oaSeefe chartered more vessels at Houg Kong, trading for copra. He has invested some two hundred thousand dollars in Yap and when there. although he as sumes the garb of native, he lives like prince. The best the market affords is on his table, and he is connoisscur of wines and cigars. 0'Keefe is also said to have acquired large block ef property in Savannah, which has ia- creased in value greatly. His daughter by his first wife is married there and has quite family. and the eopra king is preparing to visit her
 With all his wealth the trader never ! lets an opportunity slip by where there Is any money to be made. IIe is theoisi- cial pilot for the Nap, and charges what he pleases for his services. As he has no competition in this line he is as autocratic as the pilots of san Francis co harbor. As may be imagined there are no cut rates for the vessels of these companies which have in the past tried to freeze him out King 0'keefe is now just sixty years of age, but is as vigor- ous as ever.
 The little army on St. David island has swelled in mum bers to several hun dred and O'Keefe has put mp fine bar racks for his soldiers. The king is proud of his standing army which { costs him little to maintain, and it is his boast that 1t contains the finest body of drilled and disciplined men i'll the broad Pacific. O'heefe reads the American newspapers carefully. but he has never been known to permit himself to be interviewed. The story of his life er, t.aiI