AN UNPOPULAR INNOVATION.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1736, 12 May 1888, Page 3

AN UNPOPULAR INNOVATION.

A Sydney hotelkeeper, who was losing trade because he had no special attraction in bis bar like a picture gallery of rare paintings or a gaudy • female server, hit upon a scheme that He thought would draw trade. He had a new counter put in his place, the top of which was plate-glass. Underneath the counter he had an aquarium of rare fish that swam about in the water, and were plainly visible through the plate-glass top. The idea was to serve the drinks on the plateglass, so that while indulging in the flowing bowl, the customer could . watch the gambols of goldfish, trout, frogs, turtles, etc. The new bar was ; opened with quite a flourish of trumpets, and the proprietor stood in the door smiling a welcome that was cordial, to say the least. The first customer that ordered a drink was an old hand, and as the barman placed his liquor on the plate-glass the man picked it up and was about to drink, when he glanced through the plateglass top of the counter and saw a. black and red goldfish standing on its tail looking at him. He dropped the glass and fled towards the door, running over the proprietor and a visitor who was just coming into the bar. The hotelkeeper picked himself out of the sawdust and removed an indiarubber cupisdore from his head, and asked the barman if he had struck him with a bottle. The barman related the circumstance of the man having rushed ; out, leaving the liquor, and the proprietor could not account for it. Several men were by this time calling for drinks, and the proprietor was becoming happy again, when one after

another saw the reptiles under the plate-glass, each looked at the other with that frightened lookjjmen have when they realise that they’ve ‘ got ’em again,’ and they went out of the hotel, leaving their drinks on the bar. The proprietor, who had got the sawdust brushed off his clothes by this time, felt that there was something wrong, but he was unable to account for it, and the barman could not help him. A city official the next customer, and he ordered whisky. When he had poured out the drink, and was about to place it to his lips, he looked through the plate-glass bar and saw a turtle, as plain as ever he saw anything in his life, swim right up to the bottom of his glass of whisky. He turned pale, and started for the door, but the proprietor managed to stop him, and asked for an explanation. The official knocked the proprietor down with his fist, and, jumping through a plate-glass window, escaped to the street, and tore away bleeding and shouting ‘ murder!’ The police went into the hotel and arrseted the proprietor (who was bleeding at the nose) on a charge of disorderly conduct, and the hotel was closed. The proprietor paid his fine, and discovered that his new scheme had iqade every customer believe he had the delirium tremens, so he took an axe and smashed up his plate-glass bar and aquarium, put in some beer tables, and has become rich.