The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1895-04-23
A SELF-AIADE' KING.
An Irish millionaire who Rules
III tho Cnrolino Islands.
NY Thrift and Industry lie IIas Estab-
ishcd Profitable Trade Relations
with America and China and
Has II Standing Army.

oouth seas rs skipper of Il little trading
vessel. His fortune consisted of ON nd
vance from the owners, the clothes ON
ms back and his kit, his stout arms
and his good, hard sense. Now, this
freshman, no longer young, is, accord
ing to the San Francisco Chronicle. n
moneycd prince of the tropics, easily q
millionaire, and the virtual owner of n
tight little South sea island or two.
Daniel ID. O'Kecfc is his name, and the
Islands of zap and st. David, In the
Caroline group, are pretty much his
private property.
Okccfc landed In New York about
forty. years ago, and, after knocking
about the metropolis for n time, shipped
Tor trading vessel on the South seas
From there he made his way to San
francisco and got to bc captain of a
little crnft bound for the Cnrolinos.
lbs 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 Sd
vannah, Ga, where he married him n
wife. With her he returned to San
Francisco and fitted out Il second cx-
petition to the Carolincs
At zap, one of the largest islands of
the group, OKccfc established the
pioneer trading station, which has
since become one of the largest in the
vicinity of the equator.
ut that time little was known of St.
David's island, which is in / dcgrcs,
north latitude and 13l degrees y min
utcs cast longitude. OKecfc, in his eX-
plorations, landed on the island He
found only sixteen inhabitants left out
of large tribe The thrifty trader de-
tcrmined to get possession of the island
and extend his copra interests After
a long investigation he discovered that
England had Il prior claim TO it by
right of discovery This vas merely
an obstacle to be cleared away and
ohcefc promptly pushed it aside. He
went to England, and, it is said, sue
cecdcd in having his possession of the
island confirmed, the only stipulation
being that he would care for the ma
tivcs. O'Kccfe kept that part of his
contract to the letter. He proceeded
1T once to build n fort and then col
oniHcd the place, bringing natives from
islands near by. He mounted some
small cannon i'll the fort and armed tho
natives with rifles, in the use of which
he instructed them fully. Then no
drilled the soldiers thoroughly in tho
manual of arms, SO that he soon had n
body of men capable of holding ST.
David against all invaders.
Meanwhile O'Kecfe's wife died, lcav-
ing him daughter to rear. The trader
sent his little girl to her grandparents
III Savannah. with instructions to cdu-
cate her in the best colleges in the land
Before O'kccfc acquired st. David o
native W oman ruled over the handful
OF inhabitants as queen. She was q
comely young person, and some tirno
after the death of his wife the trader
married her with due and proper OBJ
Servancc of South sea marriage ocrc-
nony.
All the while O'Kccfc did not over
look his interests in zap. Many of tho
natives there were heavily in debt to
him and they paid off their mortgages
i'll copra. The trader gradually got
control of the copra in the Carolinos by
these methods until he had worked up
Il sort of corner in the sun-dried cocoa
nut Many attempts have been mailo
by San Francisco firms to break his
hold on the stock, but all have failed.
Okcefe went to Hong Kong, bought
two more schooncrs, and branched out
still more extensively, securing control
of the copra for leagues around. lie
did not forget the companies which at
tempted to break up his business, and
when they sent vessels to trade in the
Carolincs they had to buy oopra to
bring back to San francisco, and thew
had to pay the price he asked
llong Kong presented good field for
n 70 e. ~
were selling cheap and he bought con-
siderable property there. 1t is said
that to-day his possessions aggregate
nearly two-thirds of the harbor front.
During the plague the O'Kcefe 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 itong. OKcefe
chartered more vessels at Hong Kong,
and sent them through the South seas
ira ling for copra. He has invested
some two hundred thousand dollars in
zap and when there, although he as
sumes the garb of n native, he lives like
Il prince. The best the market affords
is on his table, and he is connoisseur
of wines and cigars. O'Kcefc is also
said to have acquired large block of
property in Savannah, which has in
creased in value greatly. His daughter
by his first wife is married there and
has quite family, and the copra 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. He is theofIi-
cial pilot for the zap, and charges
what he pleases for his services. AS he