Arizona weekly citizen., 1893-12-02
FLORENCE. A Town With Latent
 Greatness. F FINE REGION AB0U T. Where Crops Grow, Cattle Fat ten and Living is
 Cheap.
FINE REGION AB0U T.

iOAShOO IS Ouc Oi tuo pIo6tloS
 little towns in the territory, It is slov
 of growth but there is stability abou its buildings that betokens confidenc in its future. Within the next fey
 years it IS highly probable the whistl
 of the locomotive will be heard in th valley and rapid strides of progress b.
 everywhere seen.
 With the writer Florence has eve
 been favorite town and each reoc
 curing visit still further impressel
 the visitor with its slum bering great
 ness. Times may be dull, money scarce
 and hard to get but the husbandmar
 Is abroad, crops grow, cattle fatten and
 living Is cheap.
 The first inquiry made by intending
 settlers is in the direction of educational
 interest. In this respect no town in the
 territory has better school house. It
 Is wooden structure but is large. com
 modious and well equipped with educa-
 tiOnal appliances. It has an excellent
 corps of teachers and large patronage from the town and immediate country.
 In the matter of churches the town quite recently suffered a severe loss in the destruction of the Catholic edifice, fine brick building by fire a few months since. Another church will probably be built in the immediate future, The Rev. Father Walruzel, a very pleasent and agreeable gentleman attends to the spiritual wants of his parishoners. The protestant members of the comm unity worship in substantial but less preteniious building. Rev. |. T. Whittemore a concientious and painstaking gentleman is the pastor in charge.
 The court house is built of brick and is the pride of the county. It was built by contract, but there were no fat takes in the price. It cost S30O0O and archItecturally is beauty. For light and the convenience of of its inmates it IS without an equal in Arizona. It is so built that every office can be flooded with light and its court room is a gem. The jail is situated on the east side and IS the only portion in which improve ment on the building could possibly be made. In this division safety rather than comfort has been considered. In the lower story the sheriff, supervisors, treasurer and probate judge have offices. On the second floor the court room and the offices of the county recorder, the district attorney, clerk of the court and county surveyor are to be found.
 In the matter of business the town is we'll supplied. 1t has several general merchandise stores, groceries. agricul- tural implements, drug, furniture and notion stores. There ars several order ly and we'll kept saloons, meat markets, livery and feed stables, lodging houses and restaurant. Nearly every branch Of mercantile industry IS represented and stocks carried sufficient to meet the wants of the country.
 About six weeks since the town suf- tered the loss of it's hotel by fire and for the time being the loss seemed almost lrreparable, but its proprietor, Robert immediately secured another extensively altered, plastered, papered and furnishedit within month. On November first the Williams house again opened, and for clean, comforta- able beds and we'll supplied table It $ not surpassed by any interior town in he territory. MT. Williams is an old lime Boniface in whom the traveller finds ! hearty welcome and a hospitable nome.
 Brick as building material is large y replacing the old time adobe and the erected within the past sever Il years are of that material and have a oiid come to stay appearance about hem. The new hotel which is soon to ise from the ashes of the old one will !lso be of brIck and promises to be quite | n imposing affair.
 But one paper IS published in the | own, the Florence Tribune. It is | 'wned by stock company and edited | y MT. Geo. F. Meek, an old and we'll | ,nown newspaper man. It IS devoted to | he interests of the town and county | nd is deserving of liberal patronage | t is independent in politics, but with a decidedly republican leaning, and has he merit of calling white white and | black black, a frankness not at all con- non to Arizona journalism. Editor | leek has aD abiding faith in the future | If the town aud does yoeman work in its ,ehalf.
 The drug store and the postoffice oc- upy the same building. The former is 'resided over by Mir. .. w. French and | he latter by - Carpenter, who is a eneral favorite with his patrons, the ublic. Mir. French, to whom the CITI- FEN representative is indebted for many ourtesies, is young man of high pro- attachments and IS blessed with n estimable lady for wife. His store } the only one of its kind in the county nd is worthy of the extensive patron ge it receives.
 There are three secret crders in the own, viz: The Masons, Workmen and food Templsrs. All are in flourish lg condition and the attendance is said 0 be the largest in Arizona for a town its size. It has militia company the ersonnel of which is said to be equal to ny in the more pretentlous towns.
 Pinal county is fortunate iu the selec- on of her county officers. The super isors are Messrs. G. H. Stratton, Dan tever and C. G. Bennett, Jose M. Ochoa, Jerk. l.. K. Drais is sheriff with Hinson
 hcmas as his efficient deputy. H: V. ackson, district attorney: c. F. Palmer. .easurer; John Miller, probate judge; OcO ONhCof NONhty ACOOAdcIJ -l olton, county surveyor, and last but ot least, Hon. Tom Weeden, clerk of ne district and U. $. courts. All are ractical business men and administer le affairs of the county energeticslly, ldicially and economically.
 The legal fraternity is we'll represent l. Judge H. B. Sumner is the veteran barrister; w. R. Stone is also a old resident Under his leadership le republicans of the county have re- eatedly marched to victory. H. V. ackson, the present district attorney, eads the democratic forces and was imself elected by large majority. MT. bran Humphries, although practically
 new conner to the town, is a young ian with bright and interesting future efore him.
 The town has a population of about poo and to one unfamiliar with the ountry the question of what makes nd supports a town of this character, comes to the fore. The