The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1899-04-24

siege and the soldiers are afraid to leave
their barracks Two of the tribes have
risen against the Spaniards and nothing
saves the Dons from eXtermin nat but
tured native named Henry Nanapi,
whom the tribes in revolt hold in the
greatest esteem and veneration. AS long
as the Spaniards can keep Nanapi and
keep him alive Ponape is safe, but should
he escape or die the natives will sweep
all before them.
Spanish fleet and the fall of Manila was
brought to the Carolines by a Japanese
trader. The Spanish were scared half TO
death and two of their gunboats they
ran into the mangrove swamps and care
fully covered them over with mangrove
bushes They were still in hiding when
"E d. O'Keefe. the copra king of zap
and owner of st. David Island, is miss
ing. He went away for cruise in one of
his boats and was three months overdue
when we left. His people had almost
given him UP as lost but were hoping
against hope that he might have been
wrecked on one of the other islands.
O Keefe was quite a character and has
had a most romantic career. He came
originally from South Carolina and his
wife and daughter are still living there
Thirty years ago he was forced to leave
Charleston and ever since his home has
been in the Carolines. He has native
wife at zap and another at St. David and
a very highly educated half-caste daugh-
ter in Hongkong His wife at zap is a
splendid business woman and no one can
strike a better bargain or get better
price for copra than she. In spite of his
faults O'Keefe was a splendid fellow and
loved by all the natives in the group
John EXtrOm, who came up on the
Ruth. is the agent for the J. +. Cunning
ham Company at Ruk. He has been sta
toned there for three years, but went
over to Guam with his wife and family
to establish trading station at Agana.
Ice III md Obi F4VHg Of a
and came on here to secure a supply OF
goods for his new place.
"A tribal war is raging at Ruk," said
Mr. Extrom yesterday. Il am sorry to
tives on. This is particularly true in
the case of the Rev A. G. Smelling. |
incurred this mans ill-will because l
sheltered a fugitive chief and would not
give him up when Snelling's warriors de-
manded him. Instigated by the mission
airy, the natives stole my boat and tried
rddled with bullets fired into it by the
natives. The rival missions are the
cause of all the trouble, and until some
one puts stopper on the missionaries
the fighting will go on.
The Germans are trying very hard TO
get a fOothold on the islands. They keep
the Governor of Ponape not only in their
debt but half the time drunk, and are
constantly trying to get him to make
over land to them. The Governor cannot
make over an acre to them, as he does
not own ii. The natives hOld the ldnu,
and refuse to pay taxes or recognize the
Spaniards in any way. If the Germans
to seize any of the islands there
will be fighting right away.
Another passenger by the Ruth was A.
G. Maddern a Stanford student, who
made the voyage on the barkentine to the
islands and back for recreation and eXpe-
renee He says the Americans are in
peaceful possession at Guam and that the
natives seem pleased at the change Now
that the Spaniards have been dispos-
sessed. he thinks the LadrOnes will be-
come the most prolific islands in the
southern seas. Americans and Euro
peans are already focking there, and
business is increasing wonderfully.