O’Keefe handles 300 of Yap’s 550 tons of copra exports.

What happened

By the early 1880s Yap exported about 1,500 tons of copra a year, more than any other island in Micronesia, and 20 to 30 ships called each year; 1883 was an off year. Hezel credits O’Keefe’s stone-money monopoly and his tact in dealing with Yapese for his dominance.