THE LATEST NOVELTY IN TAPS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume VII, Issue 1967, 7 May 1870, Page 6

THE LATEST NOVELTY IN TAPS.

Tue little crowd which collects in Bourkrstreet throughout the evening can liard:* hare failed to attract the attention of an vor.« who i* in the habit of traversing that thoroughfare after nightfall. A passer-by w'io i« c>;riou» enoujh to st >]> and see what thU dLmming up of the pathway i» about, win e :i: ! that it is the delectation afforded to the crowd by the glimpse every now and then of one <S the young ladies who, in what is *ir..p.->- 5 d t,- ; be oriental attire, dispense liquid- • ) »':se frequenters of the place. The propria..■■ u! the. establishment started only a few week" a»o in a comparatively mild style of carrying ..a in more than one respect ; but, ptnb jldeued by impunity, he has become daring in h:s hmoTations upon certain usages of decency. JfiTir.j obtained a liquor licence from the ever i-o:r.-placent bench, he opened a bar in front, whi.:. strange to say, h always been perfeotiy irserted to *U appearance from the doorway, ;,:• '< rectlv the gas is lit up, and thenceforwi ■•; until the place closes at midnight. T-.» secret of success which liai, however, undo:btediv attended the venture, is to be found !r. two little symposiums which kaTe been pro. vided for visitors. At first there waa u\'.y one symposium, a kind of little back pari') .r, where drinks were serred at 100 per cent, idvance upon the old charges of the estsbh-':.-meat. The proprietor wa« euiblo.] t. > cout.e the taritl' by the simplest device in the wori !. The two Ilebes who waited upon the patr •■:.! were attired in dingy Turkish slops a:.-l trou=»rs of garish colors, and immediately \'v.% place began to get a flavor of impropri»'y tv —than which nothing better could i:-.rt been desired by the landlord —-it was full evr-y night ; but the managenent having succeecfd so far took another step upwards (iu eneie::=»). by taking about fifteen inches off the skirts 01 the Ilebes, and abolishing their trousers. li.e rush now became extraordinary, so much -o that a large saloon had to be opened upstti-i instanter, and four extra Ilebes provided, ix.'. of whom were put into the same ballet costume. So the fame goes on now. The Oriental havir.j C jt its questionable name up. is crowded ab -re a:.d below at night by fast young an 1 ■'-'. ! men about town, and rowdies of every deicrintion, high and low, genteel and ot iierwi'-. Police authorities wa'.k in and around a:.d rce no harm in it, and the jargon, '"W'-ii, conducted —nothing improptr allowed," goes down as it usually does with these compiaee;:'. gentlemen. The attraction of th» Heb*nashing about iu their tiniel and tigu's, is warmed up w.th a litt e melody, pianos ha"'.:.;: been placed both aboTo and below st:i.:«. . Professional players are kept vigorously ..; work on tlie instruments all the evetiinj, a:-.i

professional dingers drop in now and usa.:., the bulk of the entertainment in thi* Mty being, however, afforded by amateurs. No ladies are admitted to the saloons -a« jet, ".i:e management being probably timoryjs ab••■'.:; presuming too far ot) the authorities hard a>

they wink. Ladie» must content themselves for the present with accommodation in a ; a- - tiuoned orT portion of the bar which e-.n . ::> be approached by the side dear. I!v'. - <* a railed eompanv assemble, and of eours- :c:re ii no overt impropriety. If the mv>;.£-;.- -.•'in only keep the poliee sweet until '.':..• '.it-..? eomts to renew the licence hf. is c3'.r.-::'.f-i. His comfortable haul will be made shouli the tide of patronage, ss now, ilow u::e::c-ke'. until theu. We impeach, the Oriental Tap as a disgrace to the main thoro ighfare of the ei'jr. nod rail upon the guardians of pur.:-" tnorility to suppress it.- ■Mil'<o±in:-: I.e-'tf' .