Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 07.djvu/41

LEFT OLONETZ 21 OLYMPUS sity in 1856, and at Harvard Law School in 1858; practiced law in Boston; was United States attorney-general in 1893- 1895; and Secretary of State of the United States in 1895-1897; then re- sumed private practice. In 1900 he sup- ported Bryan, whom he had opposed, be- cause of Republican attitude toward trusts and imperialism. In 1906 he led the policy holders in their attacks on the New York and Mutual Insurance Com- panies. In 1913 he declined the appoint- ment of ambassador to Great Britain. He died in 1917. OLONETZ, a government of Russia, bounded on the north by Archangel, on the E. by Vologda, on the S. by Nov- gorod, and on the W. by Finland. It has an area of about 50,000 square miles. It is traversed by many rivers and there are over 2,000 lakes within its boundar- ies. The chief industry is lumbering. The climate is ill adapted for agricul- ture. Pop, about 480,000. The capital is Petrozadosk. OLTENITZA, a town in Rumania, at the junction of the Ai'jish with the Dan- ube, 37 miles S. E. of Bucharest. A battle was fought here Nov. 4, 1853, and also July 29, 1854, in both of which the Russians were defeated by the Turks. OLUSTEE, or OLUSTEE STATION, a village of Baker co., Fla., about 20 miles E. of Lake City. Here in February, 1864, a Union force numbering about 5,000 men, under General Seymour en- countered a body of about 3,000 Confed- erates, under Gfeneral Finnegan, and after a severe conflict of several hours, the Nationals were defeated, with a loss of over 2,000 men, besides artillery and wagon trains. Confederate loss about 1,000 men. OLYMPIA, a celebrated valley of Elis, in Greece, on the right bank of the Alpheus, and the seat of the Olympic games. The Sacred Grove (called the Altis) of Olympia, enclosed a level space about 4,000 feet long, nearly 2,000 broad, containing both the spot appropriated to the games and the sanctuaries connected with them. It was finely wooded, and in its center stood a clump of sycamores. The Altis was crossed from W. to E. by a road called the "Pompic Way," along which all the processions passed. The most celebrated building was the Olym- pieium, or Olympium, dedicated to Olym- pian Zeus. It was designed by the archi- tect Libon of Elis in the 6th century B. C, but was not completed for more than a century. It contained a colossal statue of the god, the masterpiece of the sculp- tor Phidias. OLYMPIA, a city, capital of the State of Washington, and county-seat of Thurs- ton CO.; on the Deschutes river where it enters Budds Inlet. Puget Sound, and on the Northern Pacinc Railroad. The city has steamboat connection with Victoria and other places on Puget Sound as well as the principal Pacific ports. Here are St. Martin's College (R. C), Providence Academy, state capitol, the county court house, St. Peter's Hospital, street rail- road and electric light plants, water- works. National banks, and several daily and weekly newspapers. Olympia has a boot and shoe factory, an ice factory, iron works, wooden pipe works, and saw shingle, and flour mills. Pop. (1910) 6,996; (1920) 7,795. OLYMPIAD, a period of four years, being the interval from one celebration of the Olympic games to another, by which the ancient Greeks reckoned their time. The first Olympiad corresponds with the 776th year before the birth of Christ. The last Olympiad was the 293rd, corresponding to the year A. D. 393. OLYMPIC GAMES. These games, so famous among the Greeks, said to have been instituted in honor of Jupiter by the Idaei Dactyli, 1453 B. c, or by Pelops, 1307 B. c, revived by Iphitus 884 b. c, were held at the beginning of every fifth year, on the banks of the Alpheus, near Olsmipia, in the Peloponnesus, now the Morea, to exercise the youth in five kinds of combats, the conquerors being highly honored. The prize contended for was a crown made of a kind of wild olive, ap- propriated to this use. The festival was abolished by Theodosius, A. D. 394. In 1896, after a lapse of more than 1,500 years, these games were revived at Athens. They began April 6 and con- tinued for five consecutive days. The number of spectators was enormous. Athletes from various countries of the world competed for prizes, and some of the principal contests were won by Amer- icans. These games consisted of foot racing, wrestling, fencing, swimming, etc. The king crowned the victors with olive branches. In July, 1900, the sec- ond series was held in Paris, France, and was a great success. Americans again won a large portion of the events. At the meet at Stockholm, 1912, the score of American athletes was 85 per cent., leading all other nations. The World War prevented a meet in Berlin in 1916. Olympic games were held in Brussels in 1920. OLYMPUS, a celebrated mountain of Thessaly, on the boi-der of Macedonia, 30