The Savannah morning news., 1903-10-08
HIS TRIP TO YAP
WALTER c. HARTRIDGE'S IMPRESS
SIONs OF THE ORIENT.
KING o'KEEFE'S ESTATE
AS 1T WAS SEEN BY SAVANNAH
LAWYER WHO WENT TO THE
CAROLINEs.

Stocks and Bonds at Hong Kong
Are Worth About $2JO,OOO and
That O'Keefe's COpra Exporting
business mt Yap Is Worth About
the Same-"FightinE Bob" Evans
COmmRnding the Asiatic Squad
ron, Befriended Mr.. Hartridge.
Got Him Back from the CarOIines.
The fact that David O'Keefe, the
| Savannah sailor, known to fame as
the King of Yap. left an estate valued
at about $5OOOOO, first given publicity
in the Morning News on June H. the
! day after Mr.. Walter C. Hartridge ca
bled the information from Hong Kong,
was once more stated by Mr.. Hart
ridge upon his return to Savannah yes
terday morning.
Mr.. Hartridge retold what he had
already cabled. and which he wrote
to his firm in a letter that reached Sa-
vannah on July 23 and was given pub
licity in the Morning News on the fol-
lowing day. There was little for him
to tell beyond his Impressions of the
Far East. All of his movements were
known to the public as they were made,
for MIR. Hartrdge kept in close touch
with savannah
Mr.. Rartridge says it is difficult to
estimate the value of the estate left by
O,Keefe, but that the figures he ca
bled from Hong Kong are about right.
The Hong Kong property is in stocks
and bonds, for the most part and
valuation of $25O,OOO is placed on them.
He figures that the late Kings business
interests at Yap are worth about the
same although it is difficult to place a
valuation on this part of the estate for
the reason that everything depends
upon the trade conditions.
Was n Pig Trader.
- keefe was the biggest trader in
the Carolines and in this way got to
be called King" said Mr.. Hartridge
or course, there is no kingdom or any,
thlng of that sort, and he did not gov
ern the natives, who are under the Ger
man rule. He was an exporter of copra.
and in this way amassed his fortune.
Ihe cocoanuts are simply cut open and
| allowed to dry. They are then shipped.
Tor the most part to Germany, and later
| manufactured into soap and an excel
! lent imitation of olive oil. The pulp is
| turned into a food for cattle, and is
used extensively.
1T was this business of exporting
| copra that brought O'Keefe in close
| touch with the natives, and at the same
| time resulted in his building up a pay
| ing business. 1t is this business that
| he has left to be disposed of The
business is now being run by an Eng
hshman, Henry Davenport, who was
| appointed tutor by the German gov
| ernment when O'Keefe disappeared No
one is permitted to give the natives
money for the product of the island,
and trade goods are used in purchas-
| ing the cocoanuts. OKeefe traded ex-
| tenslveIy, and the natives with whom
he did business looked up to him as
| though he were a king.
| 20 O'Keefe's second family at Yap has
| already been told of and described in
! the Morning News. l never saw the
woman who is the mother of his illegiti-
| mate children. o. 'Keefe's so-called pal
ace is a two-story building at Terang,
a little island in the bay. 1t is really
| part of Yap, and O'keefe's late home
might be called the island. While at
Yap | lived with family of Spaniards
| and was treated cordially. The head
of the family was the only one how
ever who could speak English, and un-
til l caught on to few Spanish words
| l was at a disadvantages Fearing
cholera, the natives do not eat vege-
tables. l could not get any, and my
| diet of meat almost gave me the gout."
Helped by "FiEhtinG Bob"
Fighting Bob" Evans, commanding
| the Asiatic Squadron, was very kind
TO Mr.. Hartridge and it was due to his
consideration that the Savannah law
yer was able to return home at this
time.
But for the assistance rendered by
Admiral Evans 1t is not likely that Mr..
Hartridge would have been able to
spend several months with his family,
including Christmas, for he will have
| to leave for Hong Kong in February in
order to be on hand in May, when the
estate will be finally wound up. The
government had provided for the car
rying of Mr.. Hartridge to Yap, but the
lawyer was worried about getting
away when he wanted to. Then it was
that the commander of the squadron
came to his relief and ordered the col
lier Justin to return for him.
How MIR. HartridEe Travelled.
On Feb. Z, last, Mr. Hartridge left
Savannah for the purpose of claiming
O'Keefes estates for Mrs. O'Keefe and
her daughter, Mrs. Frank Butler, both
of this city. His departure from San
| Francisco for Hong Kong ten days
later and the difficulties that confront
ed him upon his arrival in China are
all matters that are familiar to the
reading public.
In April the lawyer went to zap on
the Collier Justice so as to be on hand
on May 1, when the will was opened
and formally read. When later in the
same month the Justin touched the is
land on the trip back Mr.. Hartridge
left, arriving in Hong Kong on June
TO- He left that port on Sept 1 and
arrived in San Francisco on Sept. 90,
leaving for Savannah the following
day.
Mr.. Hartridge does not care to dis
cuss the likelihood of the breaking of
O'Keefe's will which would mean that
the wife and daughter in Savannah
would get the entire estate. Even
though the will is not broken Mrs
Butler will share with the illegitimate
children in the Hong Kong property,
and along with her mother will come in
for one-half of the business at Yap,
under the German law. While away
Mr.. Hartridge collected some valuable
and interesting photographs, as well
as information that he may be able
to make use of later on.