Picture 18.5.

Another very early view of the Henry Clay statue and its vicinity.  In the right foreground, we see some of the ornate cast iron balcony decorations for which New Orleans is justly famous.  To the left of the balcony, we see Mr. Clay facing us; we know that he faced the river, so our view is toward the uptown side of Canal Street, looking out in the direction of the lake.  We see streetcar activity of only two companies: the St. Charles Street Ry. at the left, and the New Orleans City RR on the neutral ground.  The SCS car at the left is on the track in the roadway of Canal Street, approaching St. Charles Street from Carondelet.  It has eight windows, which makes it fairly long for an early horsecar; seven windows is more typical.  There is no evidence of tracks for the Canal & Claiborne company (the future outer tracks that would be added to this view in 1869), or for the Orleans RR loop around the Clay statue (to be added in 1868).  So the picture can be dated between 1866 (when the SCS line opened) and 1868. — H. Miller

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