Arizona weekly enterprise., 1888-02-11
The GiIa Valley.

worthy of perusal. It was published in the Tucson Star.
 DESCRIPTION OF FLORENCE.
 Florence, the countY-seat and princi- pal town of Pinal county, is situated in the parallel of 34 degrees 15 min utes west longitude and B degrees north latitude, in the valley of the Gila, half a mile from the stream, and twenty five miles north east of Casa Grande, the nearest station on the Southern Pacific railroad.
 It was laid out in 1868 by Hon. L. Ruggles and christened Florence by Gov. R. O. Mccormick, after Florence in Italy It's surroundings are beautiful, for it is embowered among groves of shade and fruit trees and the sound of bubbling streams which run through every street lends life to their surround ings. Wherever the eye may be cast it is sure to fall on a scene beautiful to be- hold. A wide plain bounded on all sides by mountains, which lie heaped upon each other, some of them distinctly seen while others show only dim outlines to make the vale of beauty more perfect. On the west rises the massive chain of the Chiricahua, over one hundred miles long and in some places twenty miles wide, ,lthe Pimalsno and the Santa Teresa ranges joining it on the north. In the southeast the Santa Catalinas lift their crests from the desert plain. On their summits grow the pine oak, juniper, ash, and many other varieties of trees Here many wild animals find pleasant home, among clear brooks and shady glens. Southeast of the Santa Catalinas are the Santa Rita mountains, Mt. Wrghtson towering in the clear air to height oi 10000 feet above the sea-level. These mountains have sad story of their own, having witnessed the death of many . brave miner, slain by the murderous Apaches when the first attempt at min ing was made by American pioneers. TC the southeast is the Huachuca range which IS joined to the Santa Ritas by the Patagonia mountains. The eastern slope of this range fronts towards the San Pedro valley, and close to its south ern end passes the boundary line of Mex ico.
 West of the Santa Rita range between the Gila and the Sonora line, is thu prominent range of Atascosa, which em braces rich mining region. The mos noted peak Is the Bobaquivari, whicl rises to height of 1000 feet, and whicl Is visible from the distance of 100 miles To the west of this range stretches wild and weird region known as Papa gueria (home of the papagoes). Man! isolated groups are found in this section among the principal ones being the Ali, and the Cababi. The Quijotoa noun tain, which rises 1,500 feet above tn Santa Rosa plain, lies west of Cababi and is at present famous for the ricl mines to which it has given its name. T. the north of Florence the most prom tent chains are the Superstition rang stretching between the Salt and the Gill; it's northern slope being heavily timber ed; the Gila range, Sierra Natanes, an Sierra de Ia Petaha, all of which are wei watered and timbered. The Pinal rang running parallel with the Gila is als heavily timbered.
 The Gila, which flows a mile north o Florence, is a beautiful river next in sig to the Colorado. It takes its source i one of the eastern spurs of the Mogollol Mts. and crosses the territory from tn line of New Mexico to the Colorado nea Fort Yuma. Almost the entire territor south of the thirty fifth parallel Is drain ed by this river and four ffths of th streams within it's border are tributar to it For more than half ist length 1t mountain stream running throug rocky chasms, deep canons and wild an rugged scenery From the Sierra Natane it receives the Rio San Francisco, and
 few miles from this stream it receives tn Bonito and Eagle creeks Farther on tn Rio del Sur joins it near the town c Solom onville. Below the Pueblo Viei the Gila cuts through the Santa Teresi the Galuria, the Mescal, the Tortilia, an other ranges. While passing throug these ranges it forms deep gorges an narrow chasms for distance of nearl sixty miles, Before entering the cano it is joined by the San Carlos from th North, a beautiful stream with a lare and picturesque valley. Many ruins ( former irrigating works and dwelling are seen on the banks of this river, tel ing of the industrious population whic once made its home there The nan San Carlos is we'll known throughol Arizona as the home of the willy Apache
 Midway in its course through the cano
 the Gila is joined by the San Pedr
 flowing from the south. About te
 miles above Florence it emerges from u
 mountains and enters the wide plain e, tending to the Colorado, the rest of
 course being through rich and ferti
 valley.
 We have two rainy seasons. Durir
 the months of January, February ar March occurs the first rainy season all
 in the summer months of June, July ar August we have the second. Snowfall are rare here, only one having occurre in the last 19years, though snow may | seen from here on the crests of tf different mountains during the wint months, making a beautiful spectacl with it's pure mantle spread over tove . l ing peaks, and lofty ridges. When war weather comes the melted snow swel
 the Gila river to considerable size, oft
 causing it to overflow its banks. Aft reading about the pleasant surroundin of this town, one can well imagine u
 pleasure of living in it. No cold win
 or foggy days are experienced hero. ( l the hottest days the thermometer mar
 104' and on the coldest 1So. A tempe
 ature of eighty degrees in the caste states Is said to be far more oppressi 3 than one hundred degrees in Florenc owing to the dryness of our Arizona q , mosphere. Sunstrokes are unknov
 here. The cool breezes sweeping fro