OMAHA LAKE ONTAKIO. 



91 



died at Berlin, Dec. 28, 1882. His Oriental researches 

 related chiefly to the languages and antiquities of 

 Persia, and to the Old Testament. Among his publi- 

 cations were Erklarnng der I'suilmen (1853) ; Lehrbuch 

 der Hebraixchen Sprache (1801); Die Pehlewi- Legen- 

 den aufden Miiitzeit tier li'':.trn Stismmi'ileii (1843). His | 

 latest investigations appeared in the publications of 

 the Berlin Academy. See PAHLAVI in the ENCYCLO- 

 PEDIA BaiTANNICA. 



Another brother, THEODOB OLSHAUSEN (1802- 

 1869), was an active politician and journalist at Kiel. 

 In 1848 he took part in the provisional government, 

 but he afterwards joined the democratic opposition. 

 In 1849 he founded the Xurddttitsche Freie Presse., at 

 Hamburg. In 1 851 he came to America, and edited 

 a paper at St. Louis. Several German works on the 

 Western States ot America, prepared by him. were 

 published at Kiel. In 1865 he returned to Europe 

 and died at Hamburg. March 31, 1869. 



OMAHA, the largest city of Nebraska, is on the 

 west bank of the Missouri River, 600 miles above its 

 confluence with the Mississippi. It is an important rail- 

 road centre, haying several lines to Chicago, St. Louis, 

 Texas, and California. A belt-line railroad encircles 

 the city, accommodating local trade and enabling the 

 trunk lines to reach the business centre. There are 

 over 20 miles of street railroad track. The streets are 

 100 ft. wide, and in the business part are paved with 

 asphalt or stone. Three squares arc reserved for 

 parks. Large and costly buildings line the principal 

 streets. Among them are a fine city-hall, court-house, 

 U. S. government buildim.'. Joslyn and other hotels, 

 Boyd's opera-house, the national banks, and various 

 buildings for business purposes. The Chamber of 

 Commerce, organized in iss:,, has ; , hair Nome and 

 commodious building. In 1886 the Omaha Exposition 

 building was completed ; its main hall seats I'.iXH) per- 

 sons. The wholesale business of t he city, which exceeds 

 $75,001 MKH), is conducted by 2.">o linns and there are 

 over 2000 retail linns. The prosperity of Omaha is 

 due to the railroads ; though it was founded in 1854, 

 the first railroad from Chicago entered the city in Jan- 

 uary, 1867. The Union Pacific was completed May 10, 

 1869, and at once gave a great impetus to the city. 

 Previously the Missouri was here crossed in winter on 

 a pile bridge, which was removed during the season of 

 navigation. Soon an iron bridge. u7">o ft. long, was 

 built at a cost of $2,500,000, and it has since been en- 

 larged at a further expense of $l,000,ooo. Omaha 

 has 60 churches, 25 scnool-buildings, a high-school, 

 Cretghtoo College, Brownell Hall for young ladies, a 

 Catholic academy, a medical college, and a business 

 college. The industrial works comprise large smelting- 

 aii'l relining-works, car-shops, and various factories. 

 The city is lighted with gas and electric light. The 

 water supply is drawn from the Missouri, being fil- 

 tered and allowed to settle in a reservoir. The daily 

 consumption exceeds 8.000,000 gallons. Since 1884 

 there has been a city paid fire department, besides one 

 belonging to the Union Pacific Railroad. There are 

 40 miles of sewerage ; garbage is removed by boats 

 which dump it in the middle of the river-channel. The 

 city limits extend 8 miles along the river and 4 miles 

 back. It is governed by a mayor iind 12 councilinen, 

 the mayor being chosen for two years. The annual 

 expenses exceed $l,ooo.O(M), yet the amount is raised 

 with little difficulty. The bonded debt is $857,950. In 

 1 886 the school census showed 11.831 persons of school 

 age, indicating a population of nearly 60,000, and this 

 has continued to increase. 



Near the city the U. S. government has a tract of 

 82} acres for military purposes. It contains the head- 

 quarters of the Department of the Platte. In South 

 Omaha are the extensive stockyards of the Union 

 Pacific Railroad. 



OMAHAS, a tribe of American Indians of the Da- 

 kota family (see DAKOTA INDIANS). They were 

 known to the explorers of the Upper Mississippi as 



peaceful and inclined to agriculture. They were har- 

 assed by the Sioux and other tribes. About 1800, 

 being severely afflicted with small-pox, they burned 

 their villages, and journeyed southward along the 

 Missouri. Lewis and Clarke report their number as GOO 

 in I s I.'). In 1815 the first treaty was made with them 

 by the United States when they ceded Council Bluffs. 

 The Sioux continued to persecute them, but after 

 these enemies were repressed by the U. S. troops 

 the Omahas improved greatly. Their reservation in 

 Northern Nebraska comprised 375,000 acres. About 

 1883 an experiment was made in leaving them to take 

 care of themselves. They have suffered somewhat, 

 but appear to be learning self-reliance. They still 

 have the benefit of Presbyterian missionaries and the 

 mission and industrial boarding-schools were reported 

 in 1 887 as crowded. Besides these schools, many of 

 the children are taught at Carlisle, Pa., Hampton, Va., 

 and other places. The number of Omahas in 1887 was 

 reported to be 1175. 



OMAR PACHA (1806 7 1871), Turkish general, was 

 born at Plaski, Croatia, in 1806. He was the son of 

 an officer of the Austrian army and was originally 

 named Mikail Lattas. While serving in 1833 in a 

 regiment on the frontier he incurred disgrace and fled 

 to Bosnia,- where he professed the Moslem faith. 

 Being made tutor of the sons of Hussein Pacha, he 

 went to Constantinople, where he also taught Abd-ul- 

 jNIedjid. In 1839 the latter became sultan and made 

 his tutor colonel and afterwards brigadier-general. In 

 1842 he was military governor of Lebanon and soon 

 became pacha. Callea thence to subdue rebellions in 

 Albania and Bosnia, he displayed remarkable energy. 

 In the war with Russia in 1854 he was appointed gen- 

 ci all. --in 10, and drove the Russian invaders out of the 

 Danubian principalities. In 1855 he successfully de- 

 fended Eupatoria and was sent to the relief of the be- 

 sieged Kars, but arrived too late. After the war he 

 was governor of Bagdad, but in 1859 was dismissed for 

 maladministration and banished to Kharput. Re- 

 stored to office in 1861, he was again employed in 

 Bosnia. In March, 1867, he was sent to suppress the 

 rebellion in Crete, but his cruelty occasioned his recall 

 in October. Thenceforth he was one of the Sultan's 

 council till his death, April 18, 1871. 



ONCKEN, JOHANN GERHARD (1800-1884), a 

 German evangelist, was born at Varel, in Oldenberg. 

 Jan. 26, 1800. In his youth he visited England and 

 there joined an Independent congregation. He was 

 sent as a missionary to Germany by the British Conti- 

 j nental Society in 1 823. He afterwards became at 

 Hamburg the agent of the Edinburgh Bible Society 

 ' and was the first to establish a Sunday-school in his 

 native land. In 1834 he adopted Baptist views and as 

 the laws of the country were severely intolerant he 

 was secretly baptized by Rev. Barnas Sears, who was 

 then studying in Hamburg. Qncken became the pas- 

 tor of the first Baptist church in Germany, founded in 

 April, 1834. Soon after he was appointed a missionary 

 of the American Baptist Convention. His religious 

 work was conducted throughout Germany, Switzer 

 land, and Denmark, by preaching, distributing the 

 Scriptures, and forming congregations. In his fidelity 

 to duty he braved the most serious opposition and on 

 some occasions endured corporal chastisement. His 

 labors were so incessant and his success was so marked 

 that he became widely known as "the German Apos- 

 tle. " In prosecution of his work he visited the United 

 States in 1852 and 1865. After a long and faithful 

 life he died Jan. 2, 1884. He had published and 

 edited many tracts and religious journals. 



ONEIDAS. See IROQUOIS. 



ONION. See AGRICULTURE, chap, v., 2. 



ONONDAGAS. See IROQUOIS. 



ONTARIO, LAKE, the smallest of the chain of 



S-eat lakes which finally empty into the St. Lawrence 

 iver, has a length of 190 miles ; maximum breadth, 

 55 miles ; and majuwuw depth, COO ft. So great is 



