Durant weekly news. (Durant, Choctaw Nation, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 190?-1944, 1916-04-14

has been undergoing improvements
ever since he took the lease.
Mr.. Temerlin's new stand at 1876
West Main street is what has been
familiarly known for many years as
the old Allen, Harrison & Looney
stand. It was occupied az grocery
store, both wholesale and retail, in
the early days of Durant, and in fact
up to the time Mr. Temerlin took the
lease on 1t the 18th of last Decem-
ber After Allen, Harrison & Looney
occupied the building il was occupied
by Mr.. Allen, with other partners,
for a number of years, until Mr.. r.
A. Fincher, of Hugo, bought the bus
mess. Later Mr. Fincher sold the bus
mess to the A. B. Davis Grocery Co.,
who in turn sold to Taylor Brothers.
Taylor Brothers moved from the
store the latter part of 1915, and at
that time Mr. Temerlin took ten
year lease on the building, on the
condition that the owners would re-
model it and fit it up in an up to
date manner.
The lease was signed December Is,
and contractors were Immediately
put to work on the building to get
it ready for the occupancy of Mr..
Temeriln. It took them nearly three
months to complete the work of rem
ovating the building, but their time
was certainly put to good use, as in
dicated by the present appearance
of the building.
The front and entrance to the
building have been completely re-
modelled, and upon entering the new
store a person can well imagine him
self entering a store in some city
many times the size Of Durant.
Handsome plate-glass show windows
have been installed, with fine marble
baseboards, and a tile entrance has
been laid.
Upon reaching the interior OF the
store, one finds that concrete floor
has been made. and that the building
has been extended back to the alley,
a distance Of thirty feet, and prism
glass windows have been installed ct
both the front and rear of the store.
These improvements give an abund-
ance of light in the daytime, and for
night beautiful electric fixtures have
been put in.
These improvements have to do
with the building proper; but in ad-
dition the furnishings and fixtures
of the store are among the most up
to date to be found in any store in
this section of the country. Modern
shelving has been built in the build
ing for the proper display of goods,
and showcases. clothes cabinets, hat
ETC., are all new and of the
most approved makes. Modern
clothes cabinets have been built in
for both mems and women's clothes,
one section on each side of the house.
In the center of the clothes cabinets,
triplicate mirrors for the fitting of
clothes have been built, and every
thing for the convenience Of the buy
ing public looked after. The mems
depart. Ht, the ladies' rea-
dy-to-wear department, the shoe de-
partment, and, in fact, all depart
ments Of the business have been ar
ranged for separately and are as con-
venient as they can be made.
In the back ladies' rest room
has been provided, with lavatory,
toilet, and all conveniences for mi.
lady when she shops in this new
store. An alteration and a fitting
room for ladies adjoins the rest
room.
And all this has been done by a
man who landed in this country only
eighteen years ago as a poor fmmi-
grant with limited means, and who
had very few opportunities. M. Tenn
erlin landed in New York in 1897,
from Lutzk, Volinia, Russia, and
worked for two years in New York
peddling notions, etc., from a push
cart.
After staying in New York for two
years, Mr.. Temerlin went to San
Francisco, peddling goods across the
country. and it was in this way that
he got his start He worked his way