Obi, Or Ob

Obi, Or Ob, a river of Siberia, formed, at about lat. 52° K, lon. 85° 20' E., by the junction of the Katunya and Biya, which rise in the Altai mountains. It pursues a circuitous but generally N. W. course to about lat. 61°, where it is joined by the Irtish from the south, whence it runs N. W. and N. to Obdorsk, lat. 66° 40;, where it separates and flows E. into the gulf of Obi by three mouths after a course of about 3,000 m., including its head waters. Besides the Irtish, which after receiving the Tobol is larger than the river into which it flows, the principal tributaries are the Tom, Tchulim, and Vakh. Fish are abundant in all these rivers. The gulf of Obi is an inlet from the sea of Kara, which lies between Nova Zembla and the mainland. It is of irregular form, extending between lat. 66° 30' and 72° 30' N, and lon. 68° and 77° E.

Obion

Obion, a N. W. county of Tennessee, bordering on Kentucky, and intersected in the S. E. by the Obion river; area, about 500 sq. m.; pop. in 1870, 15,584, of whom 2,182 were colored. Its surface is low toward the west and elevated and undulating in the east, and the soil is fertile. The Mobile and Ohio and the Nashville, Chattanooga, and St. Louis railroads intersect it. The chief productions in 1870 were 91,139 bushels of wheat, 917,445 of Indian corn, 21,919 of oats, 26,501 of Irish and 33,607 of sweet potatoes, 227,660 lbs. of butter, 17,082 of wool, 645,937 of tobacco, and 2,256 bales of cotton. There were 3,742 horses, 1,671 mules and asses, 3,716 milch cows, 1,169 working oxen, 5,219 other cattle, 10,505 sheep, and 44,137 swine. Capital, Troy.

Obiter Dictum

Obiter Dictum (Lat., something said by the way or incidentally), in law, an opinion which a judge in deciding a cause expresses on a point not necessary to the judgment. Such an expression of opinion is usually to be avoided, as it cannot be supposed to have received from counsel or court the investigation and reflection bestowed upon the points actually involved in the case, and would consequently be likely to be more or less crude and ill-considered. It is liable to the objection, also, that it is an opinion in advance of any actual controversy presenting it, and without a hearing of such parties as may be concerned. Such an opinion, therefore, from however respectable a source, is not admitted to possess the force and be entitled to the authority of a precedent.

Obligation

See Bond, Charter, and Contract.

Oboe

See Hautboy.

Obolus

Obolus, a small coin of ancient Greece, one sixth of a drachm, equal in value to about 2.6 cents. In the best times of Athens it was made of silver only, but later of bronze.

Obrejvovitch

See Servia.

Obrien

O'Brien, a N. W. county of Iowa, watered by the Little Sioux river and Willow creek; area, 576 sq. m.; pop. in 1870, 715. The surface consists of rolling prairies; the soil is fertile. The Sioux City and St. Paul railroad crosses the N. W. corner. The chief productions in 1870 were 4,648 bushels of wheat, 500 of Indian corn, 8,909 of oats, and 404 of barley. The value of live stock was $41,490. Capital, O'Brien.