Arizona weekly citizen., 1892-06-04
FLORENCE. Improvement of Town and
 Valley. THE FLORENCE CANAL co. Fine Ranches, Splendid Crops
 and Flooded Stock. Random Notes of General Interest
 to the Public.
Random Notes of General Interest
 to the Public.

. It may bs difficult to fully account fol the fact, nevertheless it exists, that the , condition of trade has greatly improved 3 at Florence since one year ago. There appears to be less stringency Tn the , money market, and more hopeful feel
 ing pervades the entire community
 There are many inquiries by mail and : otherwise, concerning land for home
 steads in the Casa Grande Valley, pa
 tented lands also; and real estate is firm ID and around the town. Abundant crops of grain, hay and vegetables
 bless the people, and unlike last year
 one hears no complaint of a scarcity of
 water for irrigation. The Florence
 Canal, upon which nearly all the people
 depend, has been kept full continuously,
 and turned on the fields and gardens
 promptly as required. Much credit is
 given c. H. Pogue, the Treasurer and
 Superintendent, for his careful and eff
 ficient management of the canal this
 season. Breaks, night or day, have
 been promptly repaired and the least
 whimper about water was sure to be followed by an innundation of the drouth stricken owners premises, and
 the flow was continued until in hIs sore
 distress he was obliged to cry enough.
 Many new acres have been added this
 year to the cultivated area. The exact
 amount of land watered by thIs canal is
 S,50O-about double that of the preced-
 ing years.
 The Florence Canal O., was organized
 in 1887. Its present capital stock is
 S500000 and cost of the property to date
 S350,000. The canal heads eleven miles above Florence and extends a few miles South of Casa Grande, a distance of | fifty-fiye mules, and covers about 100000 | acres. The canal is estimated capable of furnishing ample irrigation facility | for 60000 acres The greater part of | this area is said to be claimed, though a
 number of elligible farm sites have lapsed to the government from failure of claimants to fulfill the requirements of the law. The price of water rights above the reservoir IS $500 and below 1t, S1200 per acre, while the yearly rental is only S125 per acre. S15,000 has been expended in repairing the reservoir since last year, and dredger, costing S4, 800, has been intr oduced, and is pro- nounced a great success for cleaning out sediment and for widening and deepen- ing the canal. The company purpose building new dam and headgate this | year at an expense of about S25,000. It | is estimated thst the reservoir when | filled is capab.e of supplying ample | water for all the land below it lying un- der the canal.
 D. $. Thomas is President, and w. B. | Reid, Secretary, and W. H. Benson As | sistant Secretary, A. T. Colton, c. E. | made the first survey of the canal and | is now under the employ of the company in his former capacity. He Is preparing | 12 it., map of the valley for refer ence in the company's offi;e It IS safe to say that when the plans of the company are fully perfected and carried out no enterprise of the kInd in Arizona will occupy more complete footing The entire canal with it's headgates and laterals will be connected by a system of telephones with the main office.
 Messrs. Sharp & Vernoy have taken out an lrrigating ditch seven miles above town on the north side of the Glla rIver, which will cover about 5000 acres, all of which is claImed. It covers the territory of the Old Stiles ditch. The head of the canal is cut through solid rock, and is two feet below the bed of the river. On account of the flood of 1890 this extra grain, vegetable, and fruit land has since lain idle.
 The Wentworth ranch is still pointed out as the pride of the valley. It con sists of upwards of 2,00G acres, about half of which is devoted to alfalfa for hay and pasturage, the proprietor, MT. Davis, having a large heard of fine horses. T. c. Graham, the manager informed me that twenty acres of fruit trees were added this year to the fine orchard planted last year. Among a score of thrifty looking places I noted that of w. w. Harter, near town. He is likewise the owner ot some premium , horse flesh. He has a colt sired by Iowa Chief for which be refused tender from MT. Porter, owner of the stallion, of S200 when but one day old.
 The many old friends of Col. Robert Williams late of the Silver King will be pleased to hear that he has leased the Florence Hotel. and at great ex C pense has reftted and furnished the same in approved modern style, so that ( now it may be regarded much ike home instead of hotel fC New floors, nicely papered and painted throughout, and wide, elegant verandas ( erected around the main building, to- yether with the handsome shade and ornamental trees in close proximity, ends an air of comfort to this mere
 haF1 rlnr ,I as it IS usual to expect to i ind in towns possessing only third-rate e Postoffices. l.. Wuthrich, formerly of he Baldwin, and Mir Nathan lend pop C llarity to the house as assistant man a lgers. V
 G. c. Israel, member of the Phenix Bar, has decided 10 enter into co-part- ; le'ship with H. V. Jackson, Esq, in a 3 Law Office. I
 Theo. Nichols, of Pinal, has located lere and will open a first-class butcher Il hot. |
 It is rumored that Goldsmith & Go. T ,f Phenix, contemplate establishing a ' ,eod store here. heard expressions of T welcome. |
 Judge Kibby is the recipient of very V handsome onyx eribbage board from U Supt. McInernay, of Yuma. T. l.. the boss contractor, has made cover for it, out of wood taken from P be Casa Grande ruins.
 Romero & Gonzales have established K general store at J. M. Ochoa's old r tand. All wish them prosperity
 F. B. Maldonado, late of the firm of " ". c. Smith & Co.,, is doing a fine busi- U less representing H. Levy & Co.,, whole Q ale grocers, San Francisco. U The Tribune, edited by Eugene a Brown, merits it's popularity and in- reasiDg circulation. It is a good local n ,aper. k. B. l.. a a
 Florence, May. 26, 1892. Il