Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-04-27

nent institutions of higher learning,
Creighton and the University Of
Omaha, with courses in law. medi-
cine, dentistry. agriculture, horticul-
ture, forestry, engineering, and 9TH
er branches.
Omaha, too, hasa High School Of
Commerce, with exceptionally high
standing both in commercial and
vocational work. The regular high
! schools, of which there are three,
have compulsory military training
dating far back OF the war.
Omaha's educational plan for its
$4,000 school children includes x-
tension work and commhnity-center
activities-concerts, lectures, de-
bates, dramatic events, gymnasi-
ums, and 4 chorus. These centers
exchange talent.
While driving on Florence boule-
ward number Of fine homes. were
pointed out to me and loosely spo-
ken of>as "farmhouses." This boul-
evard Is one of the best in the city,
running along the edge Of low
ridge and dipping down to an cx-
terisive plain that is still farmed.
Thus some Florence boulevard
dwellers have front doors on the
best residential area of Omaha, and
back doors overlooking their farms.
I Leads in Phones.
Omaha has the largest percentage
of telephones of any city in the
United States; the habit is practic-
ally universal. Fifty per cent Of
Omaha families own their homes,
and 40 per cent of these were built
through building and loan assoeia-
tons. This indicates the towns
thrift. There is no slum or tene-
mentVhouse district; although apart
ment houses have been developing,
the people live in detached dwell
lngs as rule, with plenty of ground.
: But the farmers, despite the big
part they play, are by no means
the dominating element. Omaha is
personally conducted by business
men. It was my privilege to lunch
on more than one occasion in the
great dining-room of the Chamber
of Commerce, and found it crowd
ed with hundreds of manufacturers
and merchants. One thing that i'm
pressed me especially was the fact
that most of them seemed familiar
with the local geography and bust
ness affairs of New York itself, and
of other leading cities.
Omaha is a city largely lacking
in display of wealth, although it has
many rich men and women. Their
homes, with few exceptions, are
modest, and their functions without
pageantry. Nevertheless the social
observers say that the percentage
of well-dressed and fastidious peo-
pie is far greater in Omaha than.
in New York or Chicago. Some of
these families 60 back to the city's
early history, which is most dra-
matte. The town grew out of the
Union Pacific railroad, which was
completed to the coast in 1869. Paw
nee scouts guarded the trains
against the Sioux tribe. Then came
the great Omaha boom. =
A few years ago Omaha first be-
gan to think seriously, forming the
Civic League and then the City
Planning commission. The war
caused some delay, but in the end
proved 4 great stimulus not only to
the city but to all that Nebraska
country. The commission. in one of
its reports, says: "As consequence
of war; city planning everywhere is
regarded as even more vital and
pressing than ever before. ........
Omaha is ready for big things"
Parks and Fairgrounds.
Parks, Fairgrounds and boule-
wards form an important part in the
plans, which, however, 30 vastly
further and include transportation,
the DEVELOPMENT of waterfront facil-