Loyola University - Wolf Yearbook (New Orleans, LA)

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OPPOSITE PAGE - TOP: Next stop, Loy- ola University. BOTTOM: Car No. 934 decked out in its birthday finery. THIS PAGE - LEET: Beth Greene, Heather Murray, Debbie Wald, Nick Vasil and Bri- an Harvey anxiously await the arrival of a streetcar. BELOW: All aboard! Take a ride into history. M. Shea ■ ,

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150, And Still Rolling Advertising it as the longest block party in the world and a day for parties, parades and fabulous events, New Orleans celebrated the 150th birthday of its streetcar September 28, giving people an opportunity for freaky holiday fun which included free streetcar rides, music at different venues near the St. Charles Ave- nue line and an unprecedented streetcar parade. In 1834, when the St. Charles line was started with horse-drawn double-deck cars, cities like San Francisco were still backwoods trading posts. By late September of 1835, steam cars were already being ad- ded to the line, which ran from the corner of Canal St. and St. Charles Ave. to Jackson Ave., with a fare of 25 cents per person charged to riders. From 1840 to 1893, steam power alternated with horse and mule muscle as the source of locomo- tion for the city ' s streetcars. The number of lines steadily increased as service became more and more comprehensive. A Canal St. line was added in 1863 to serve the downtown workers. In fact, by 1873, the number of annual riders had burgeoned to 23 million, al- lowing a decrease in the fare to five cents per rider. In 1884, the first electric cars were brought to New Orleans as exhibitions in the Cotton Centen- nial Exposition held in what is now Audubon Park. However, it was not until February 1, 1893, that the first permanent line was installed along the same St. Charles route we ride today. After 1893, lines all over the city were successively electrified; by 1900, four companies operated 28 lines along 173 miles of track. The cars used at this time were made by the St. Louis Car Com- pany and cost $2,949.20 each. In 1922, people rode the same streetcars we ride today, the Per- ley Thomas 900 series streetcars. Introduced between 1922 and 1924, the Perley Thomas cars are renowned throughout the world. Car No. 953, which still dutiful- ly runs today, is portrayed on the U.S. Post Office ' s 1983 commemo- rative block of stamps, an honor that four American streetcars share. And of course, it is the Per- ley Thomas streetcar which Ten- nessee Williams refers to in his dramatic milestone, A Streetcar Named Desire. On May 30, 1964, all streetcars except those on the St. Charles line, ceased operation, superseded by buses. There are still streets around the city which have paral- lel rails imbedded in their tar, re- minders of what had once been. -Marc Guidry S. Calami

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M. Shea And They All Asked For You! Audubon Park and Zoological Garden has reached its centen- nial. To celebrate its 100th birth- day, the Zoo planned many events including an Oak Tree Lighting, Birthday Bash, and Zoobilation, besides concerts, fun runs, and guest appearances. Century-old oak trees, which fill Audubon Park, were beauti- fully decorated with floodlights to celebrate the centennial. Daily tree-lighting at twilight symbol- ized the Park and Zoo birthday. The Birthday Bash featured two days of clowns, live music, and a giant birthday cake. To get a behind-the-scenes view of zoo operation, an event call i zoobila- tion was held. Irma Thomas, a local Jazz ce- lebrity, the Mamas Papas, Fran- kie Avalon, the Temptations, and the Four Tops were a few of the concert performers staged by Au- dubon Park and Zoological Gar- den to celebrate the centennial. A guest appearance by Fifi the koala bear and year-round favor- ites such as Suri the white tiger and Libby the black bear complet- ed the list of stars appearing at the Zoo. Many other events were held to celebrate the 100th birth- day, including fun runs to raise money for the upkeep of the Park and Zoo. Audubon Park and Zoological Garden is a wonderful place to visit any time. It is a masterpiece of exhibit design and houses 1,500 animals. The Zoo features the Louisiana Swamp Exhibit, a true- to-life miniature complete with alligators. The Wisner Children ' s Village, which houses a petting zoo, and many other specialty ex- hibits can be found throughout the Park and Zoo. Unique events, such as camel or elephant rides and various pro- gramming make Audubon Park and Zoological Garden an enjoy- able and educational experience. C. T. Vincen