OMEGA 24 O'NEAL Netherlands possession; included in the Residency of Timor. Pop. about 194,000. OMEGA, the name for the Greek Jong- o. It was the last letter in the Greek alphabet, as alpha was the first. Inscriptions on tombstones, public docu- ments, etc., very often began with these two letters, meaning, "In the name of God." OMEN, a sign believed to prognosti- cate a future event. Omens have been common among most nations, but were chiefly received in the ruder ages, and among the more ignorant of a people. Even in the present day, in many parts of England and the United States, a su- perstitious belief in omens exists. The howling of a dog by night is believed to presage a death in the neighborhood. The screeching of the owl and the croak- ing of the raven have, both in ancient and modern times, been regarded as omens of some dire calamity. To pre- sent a knife, scissors, razor, or other sharp or cutting instrument to one's friend is unlucky, as they are apt to di- vide love and friendship. The list could be multiplied indefinitely. Fishermen and sailors are particularly influenced by omens, which they fancy they discover in the most trivial circumstances. To lose a bucket, or to throw a cat overboard, is believed to be very unlucky. Whistling is supposed to raise the wind. By a re- gard to these things, many persons add very considerably to their proper share of human misery without any counter- vailing amount of good. OMMIADES, a dynasty founded in Arabia by Moawiyah, in 655 or 661. Merwan II., the 14th and last caliph of this race, was slain in a mosque on the banks of the Nile, Feb. 10, 750, when the Abbassides assumed the reins of power. Abderrahman, the only member of the Ommiades who escaped the massacre at Damascus, founded a caliphate in Spain, in 755. Eighteen caliphs reigned, Hinem III., who resigned in 1031, being the last. OMNIBUS, a Latin word signifying "for all," and now applied in several languages to the well-known vehicle used for the conveyance of passengers at a cheap rate. The first conveyances of the kind were those which came into use in Paris (March, 1662) in consequence of an edict of Louis XIV., but they soon fell into disuse, and were not again rein- troduced till 1827. A Mr. Shillibur started the first omnibus in London in 1829, and they were introduced into New York in 1830, and Amsterdam in 1839. OMPHALE, a queen of Lydia. She married Tmolus, who, at his death, left her mistress of his kingdom. She pur- chased Hercules, who had been sold as a slave for the recovery of his senses, after the murder of Eurytus. Omphale soon restored her slave to liberty, and the hero became enamored of his mistress. The queen favored his passion, and had a son by him. OMRI, a general of the army of Elah, King of Israel, who, being at the siege of Gibbethon, and hearing that his master Elah was assassinated by Zimri, who had usurped his kingdom, raised the siege, and being elected king by his army, marched against Zimri, attacked him at Tirzah, and forced him to burn himself and all his family in the palace in which he had shut himself up. After his death, half of Israel acknowledged Omri for king; the other half adhered to Tibni, son of Ginath, which division continued four years. When Tibni was dead, the people united in acknowledging Omri aa King of all Israel, and he reigned 12 years. Omri built the city of Samaria, which became the capital of the king- dom of the 12 tribes. OMSK, chief town of the former Rus- sian province of Akmolinsk, at the con- fluence of the Om with the Irtish, 1,800 miles E. of Moscow. It was built in 1716 as a defense against the Kirghiz; but is now of no importance as a fortress. It is the seat of administration for the Steppe provinces of Western Asia. The trade is in cattle, hides, furs, and tea. Pop. 135,800. ONDERDONK, FRANK SCOVILL, American educator; born in Mission Val- ley, Texas, in 1871. After studying at Southwestern University, he entered the Methodist Episcopal Church as minister, in 1892, and served as missionary in Mexico. From 1907 to 1914 he was mis- sionary at San Luis Potosi, Mexico, and from 1914 was superintendent of the Mexican, Italian and Bohemian missions to Texas. O'NEAL, EMMET, an American pub- lic official; born in Florence, Ala., in 1853. Graduated University of Ala- bama in 1873, and was admitted to the bar in 1875. He was United States at- torney for the N. district of Alabama from 1893 to 1897 and was elected gover- nor of Alabama for the term 1911 to 1915. He was president of the Alabama State Bar Association from 1909 to 1910, and was^ a member of other important pro- fessional associations. He was chair- man of the District Exemption Board of Division 1, during the operation of the draft. He wrote "The State Constitu- tion."
