Durango semi-weekly herald., 1905-12-04
INDICATIVE
OF C|TY'S
GROWTH

The steady and quite uniforml,
rapid growth OF Durango during tn,
past fifteen years probably could no
be better illustrated. described or un
derstood than by glance at the gen
eral detail of progress which ha,
been made in commerce by the Ora
den Mercantile company during tina,
period. II is recalled that in 1890 the
Graden company began business In
what was known as the Union block
then built by outside capital The
company had the second and third
rooms south Of the corner. which was
occupied by drug store. These
rooms gave single iloor space OF SOY
10 feet one room was given to dry
goods. the other to groceries. In less
than year 1t was found necessary to
build a warehouse, one that has serv.
ed for the rapidly growing business
since that time. only third deck
having to be added. Having a capac.
lty of three or four Rio Grande freight
train loads of merchandise. this ware
house has been generally occupied al.
most to the limit OF its capacity at
NIL seas.hs of the year.
There was time In the '9Os when
Durango suffered from the panic pre-.
| cipitated by Grover Cleveland and
during that period the Graden com
pany shared Its part of the burden,
but II the material resources OF Du.
| range were to hourish. build and
strengthen the town the Graden com
pany. too, must succeed
Durango came back to her former
self and began growing again, and
| with ner the big mercantile house
The one-story building was extended
i5 feet on the rear to enlarge the
salesrooms. and the rear of the drug
store thus created was given to Of.
hces. Still more room was needed and
the drug store was added. Then
little later the office rooms we're add.
ed. And finally It became apparent to
the management that adding so little
needed room at time was impract.
cable and II was decided to double the
| fioor space of the entire building,
which mad then been purchased by the
Gradens. and last July the construc.
| tion of second story was begun.
Since that time mechanics have work
ed regular and overtime to hurry the
completion OF the greater establish.
ment. Mr. r. r. Sloan has given per.
sonal attention and direction to con.
struction, and his earlier years spent
| In mechanics appears to have served
well In guiding work that Is now to
| result in the most modern structure
In Durango, for Its greater detail ex.
cells all others. While time was the
greater object neither that or money
has been employed stintingly in max.
ing everything perfect, either for com
fort of employees or for the proper ex-
| pedition Of business In the several
| lines of commerce in the great store
house.
The Herald presents today the minor
detail of the changes which have been
made this year, with reference to the
history of the growth OF the business.
The space occupied by the sales.
rooms and warehouse is 10ox300 feet.
the north fronting on Eighth street.
occupying the 300-foot line. The main
building, In which are the several sales
departments, is two stories 100xll5
feet. Tho triple deck stone ware.
house is G0xl00 feet, having the Eighth
street entrance and connection with
the Rio Grande tracks on the west.
The dry goods department, in which
is kept ladies' wear and furnishings
Is 50x1l5 feet. The shoe department
Is 25Xl15 feet. In the rear of the
shoe department is the office apart
ment, 25x30 feet, with a vault In the
rear 9x12 feet. interior measurement
The walls of the vault are "a inchef
wide, with air space In center of each
The floor is OF heavy concrete and tho
structure will Withstand any heat
which could possibly be created In II,
surrounding. and 1t Is practically i'm
pregnable. AT the rear OF the DIR,
goods and grocery departments there
are for each a set OF modern toilets
for both lower and upper floors.
The floor space for the two floor
in the sales apartments aggregated
$4,000 square feet. And the floor o.
deck space In the warehouse aggre
gates $4,000 feet Connections ar,
made between the sales building AM
the warehouse for transferring good
from the railway tracks to any depar,
ment.
On the upper door the milliner
and dressmaking departments ar
each 25x50 feet, with floods Of ligb
and every modern comfort for thos
= who work. In front OF these depart
ments, or leading toward the Mai
avenue side, are two large rooms. eac
25x67 feet. One. that above the sho
department, will be the carpet an
) queensware room. the one on IN
< south will be employed temporaril
= for storing goods not In daily reQu
sition, but near enough to replenis
e various departments in . moment q
= any time.
The north part Of the upper Aoe
hAl haAn atvan In nnaytHAnfs for =,