The Intermountain Catholic. (Salt Lake City [Utah] ;) 1899-1920, 1905-07-22
NO FRILLS FOR O'KEEFE.
Modest Plans of a Section Foreman
Now Millionaire.

Thomas O'Keefe. former section fore
man on the Long Island railroad and
now living on his little six-acre farm
near Woodlawn, L. l., has received
news that he is heir to $3,S25OOO as his
share of the estate of an almost forgot
ten relative. who settled in Texas a cen
tury ago and who died years ago, leav-
ing S11, 100000.
The wonderful news came to the lit
tie O'Keefe cottage last Thursday in d
letter from a sister in Ireland, and hur
ried investigation by lawyers has shown
that the windfall is genuine.
There are only three heirs to the
estate. so that O'Keefe's income will
mount from $4SS a year to $3.50, 900. The
O'Keefes were celebrating the fortieth
anniversary of their wedding when the
golden news came to them.
The O'Keefe inheritance is indeed ro-
mantle. In 1904 Dennis O'Keefe of Kill
kee, County Clare, ireland, left his
home and shipped as sailor. He wan
dered over the world and finally settled
in Texas. Nobody knows the line of
business he pursued, but he finally ac-
quired many acres of land, and on near
ly all of it oil has been found in i'm
mense quantities. The oil was found
years after old Dennis O'Keefe died,
and since scores of lawyers have been
searching for his relatives. Finally a
lawyer named Hildreth discovered one
of the three heirs to the estate, Mrs.
Maria O,Keefe .Fennell of Kilkee, Ire
land. Mrs. Fennell notified her two
brothers, Patrick, who lives in Ireland
and O'Keefe of Long island
Thomas O'Keefe married Mary Leahy
forty years ago and they came to Amer
lea. He got job on the Long Island
railroad as foreman of a section gang
and his wife took in washing. Seven
children arrived. From his $1.20 a day
O'Keefe managed to save up enough
money to buy his little six-acre farm
near Woodlawn, and there the thrifty
couple raised up their children. Mr..
OKeefe gave up his railroad job two
years ago and has managed to live COM
fortably in the tiny cottage on his saw
ings.
The old couple were amazed when
the letter came last week telling them
they were nlillionaires. but they went
ahead in "a practical way to get the
money. Mr.. O'Keefe, consulted Douglas
Conklin, cashier of the Bank of Hunt
ington. who undertook to sift the mat
ter. He has told his client that UNI
doubleday the reported inheritance is
true. Every day has brought hundreds
of letters to OKeefe offering to take
charge of his affairs
But I'll stick to Conklin,'' said the
old man when seen TAT his little cottage,
which has garden around it in which
are chickens and a goat.
If the fortune is there for me. he'll
get it all right; but if 1 never get a
cent of it, why, all right, say |. | don't
need it. I have enough to live on for
the balance of my days, anyhow. But
~ it does come our way. We'll try to en-
joy it without any frills. l don't want
any automobiles, but l think I'll just
have a good horse or two and a nice
carry-all to take out the missus in for
an airin' once in awhile. I can put up
barn right near the house here and
keep the horses there. No, sir, l won't
have no coachman. / guess | can drive
horse myself. 1t would be a pity if
this big fortune was to rob us of our
contentment."
The O'Keefes children are all grown
up and fairly prosperous.