Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1906-02-20
NO. Is.
Mistellanuus Rsadiug.
LONELY LITTLE KINGDOM.


IFdTaWay iSianuo SNoT "HhSH "HhS
Men Rule.
II any one would like to be 1t on
small dot in the North Pacific ocean
the opportunity offers. According to
an advertisement in San Francisco
papers, Great Britain would sell tut-
right Tanning and washinton islands.
bids to be made to the registrar OF the
British High Commissioners court
for the Pacific. 1t Is a chance 10 join
the hieratic small legion Of undisturb-
ed kings of isolated isles. You may
find these isles on the map between
10 and 70 north latitude and
1879 and 1892 west longitude. AS a
group they consist of Washington,
Christmas, Palmyra, Jarvis and Fan
ming islands. Canadian Pacific steam
ers up from the colonies now put in
there, so they are not cut off from all
touch with civilization.
Great Britain, owning many islands
by right OF discovery. has frequently
allowed private ownership to succeed
public ownership. One case In point
is that Of the Caroline islands Yap
and st. David.
| Daniel ]. O'Keefe, at last accounts,
was the single controller Of these two
oline group. Forty-five years ago he
landed in New York and shipped from
there on a trading vessel to Buenos
Ayres, thence getting around to San
Francisco and later to the Carolines.
He returned with money and went to
Savannah, married wife and return
ed with her to st. David.
He established trading station at
Yap; got Great Britain to give him
the right to ST. David If he would care
for the natives. He built fort and
colonized the place from other isles.
His wife died, and O'Keefe married
the native queen who had ruled be-
fore his arrival. He developed his
copra trade: gradually got control of
most Of the copra in the Carollnes.
His native wife died.
Then he went to Hong Kong,
bought two more schooners to take
care Of his copra trade, and spent a
great deal Of time in the Chinese port.
He owns now large part Of the
harbor front there and has married
a Hongkong white woman. Occa-
sionally he goes to st. David and zap
to look over his plants and HIS garri-
son, but does not stay there much
| any more.
on the Irish coast Is the island of
Innishkea, lorded over in permitted
absolutism by king Philip l." In
Leisure Hours a writer recently de-
scribed landing as follows:
'"The inhabitants turned out en-
masse. Women and children in their
scanty garments of red flannel
crouched outside their cabins, while
the men ran to put out their coracles
for a chance to row US to land. 1t
was curiousiy like picture IN q boys
book Of adventures.
I'VE were conducted by King Phil
ip to the palace His queen was in
red dress, with a plaid shawl over her
head. There is no school on the is
land; nor watch nor clock. The
kings word settles all disputes, and
the people, so far as he is concerned,
are untaxed."
Then there is Jimmy Millar, Scot,
who rules over Prince Of Wales Is
land, three miles of British Colum-
bia. 1t. is third the size Of Cuba.
His subjects-outside his own family
l-are mostly Hydah Indians, who
came up from the Queen Charlotte
Islands long ago and annihilated the
native tribe. Now they are salmon
fishers for Millar's canneries.
Technically he Is not king. He
is a supreme Boss-a Boss who has
no factions under him, and no rivals
or parties against him. He has no
ministry, no friends in finance to give
him power.
In his little country there are
neither court houses nor jails. Life
and property are secure, and the In
dians settle disputes in aboriginal
ways.
| Peter Howden is supposed now to
be back in his island Of Raratonga.
He deserted thereon thirty years ago,
the ship on which he was cabin
boy and became chief. BY trading
with passing vessels he amassed pos
sessions. and one day, longing for the
comforts Of civilization, he embarked
for San Francisco on the missionary
brigantine Morning Star.
Then he went on several whaling
voyages to the Arctic Ocean. After
nights frolic in Seattle he found
himself penniless and started back
to take up the simple life of Rara-
tonga.
Pitcairn Island and It's hereditary
oligarchy is more familiar. Bo'sun
Mccoy, one of the mutineers Of the
Bounty, settled there many years ago.
McCoy's descendant is president Of
the colony, assisted by a council Of
six. 1t is a colony chiefly Of whites
and comprised at last accounts some
1856 people, including two imported
school teachers.
Juan Fernandez, on which Alexan-
der Selkirk lived for a while, is leased
| by a German from Chile for $1,000
| a year, and he is supreme there.
Part Of the rent he pays in dried
| fish.
| Catching and drying the fish oc-
cupies the few settlers, who sell their
product and also cattle and vegeta-
bles, to ships that put in for provi-
sions or water Dogs left by the
Spaniards have bred and gone wild
and live chiefly on seals. Excur-
sionfsts may go to the island from
Valparaiso. making the round trip in
six days, and these also yield some
thing to the maintenance Of the set
tiers and a good deal to the German
lessee.
Midway between the Maldive and
Lacadine groups, Off the southwest
coast of India, is the isle Of Minicoy.
II 10 rim NV woman and thew all