A HALT AT OMARA. 445 



torial capitol. It is a fine, large building, erected in 

 1872, at a cost of ^250,000. Its spire is three 

 hundred and ninety feet above the Missouri Hiver, and 

 its cupoly commands a view embracing many miles of 

 river scenery. 



Creighton College is a Jesuit institution, endowed 

 by Mrs. Edward Creighton to the amount of about 

 Jl 55,000. It will accommodate four hundred and 

 eighty pupils and opens its hospitable doors to all 

 students, irrespective of creed or race. 



A four-story stone Post Office stands on the corner 

 of Dodge and Fifteenth streets. That building, to- 

 gether with the furniture which it contains, is alleged 

 to have cost $450,000 ; and Omaha people claim that 

 it is one of the handsomest government buildings in 

 all the land. 



By the way, self-respect, humble pride, an appreci- 

 ation, a love and admiration of every good thing the 

 *' Gate City" contains, is a characteristic of all honest, 

 true-hearted Omaha men — God bless them ! They are 

 even proud of their jail, which is universally conceded 

 to be the handsomest and strongest penal institution 

 in the West. 



Omaha is headquarters for a military division 

 known as the Department of the Platte. A great part 

 of the financial supremacy of the city is due to the 

 heavy purchase and dis^tribution of military supplies. 

 The General Government, some time since, acquired 

 eighty-two and a half acres of land, two miles north 

 of Omaha, christened it Fort Omaha, and spent over 

 $1,000,000 in erecting military buildings upon it. 



Statistics change rapidly in this Gate to progress and 

 improvement. In the year 1877, improvements were 



