The Florence tribune., 1897-09-25
THE CASA GRANDE VALLEY.
Information for Those Seeking Homes
 In the Garden Spot of the West.

Information for Those Seeking Homes
 In the Garden Spot of the West.
 Pinal county was organized in 1875 from portions Of Pima, Maricopa ana as1 .a., aN apo, counties and contains an area Of 9.Soo sduaFS miles or g. 4S5, ,Jl0 acres, one-third or Wnic.n could be made productive by systeiha..ie . storage of the surplus water now fullhlnS .o waste Next to MaricOpa 1t is the most im- portant agricultural county inthe Territory. 1t it traversed from east to west ny Nhs Southern Pacific railroad, and oranen 1Ii the great Santa Fe system Is now apPtoaenfs ing from the north. The objective point ot this road is a connection with the sonora road, of the same system: The couVsneIn Pacific is also building in this direction rom Tempe and it is confidently believed that work will not cease until the Deer SreeH coal fields are reached and connectllom l,,, ,s made with another branch Of that road run ming from Bowie to Globe and now compleU- ed to Fort Thomas. Thus it will be seen that Pinal county is the theater of railroad building at the pres ent time, and inside of year Florence, Vhe county seat, will be
 A RAILROAD CENTER.
 At present it contains a population sof about 1500. but with the completion of these two railroads and the Butte reservoir no city Tn Arizona can approach it for natural advantages and large increase in popula- ton will follow. Florence is at an elevation of 1858 feet absve sea level, situated near the Gila river, twenty-six miles northwest of the railroad station of Casa Grande, with which 1t is connected by an elegantly equipped daily stage line. Going and coming stages run by the old Casa Grande ruins, and passengers are allowed short time to in spect them. There are many handsome pri- vatesresidenees in Florence, several brick stores, good hotel, an excellent graded school employing four teachers, churches secret societies a Commercial Club, news paper tthe only one in the county l, and the handsenest court house in the Territory. Here is held the United States Court for the district composed of Gila, Graham iaSi ana inal otatrr ie- Ina SfF lined shade trees. which impart an air of comfort on the warnest days.
 PRODUCTS OF THE VALLEY.
 Unlike the Salt river, the waters Of the Sila are fresh and pure; the soil contains no 1lkali, is deep, rich gray ash, especially adapted to the growth of the. prune, olive almond peach, fig, pear, apricot and fruits of all kinds, which pay largely on the invest ment. It is also the natural home of alfalfa, which grows in the most prolific manner. The grape does exceptionally well in this valley. and wine and raisin culture is destin- ed te become a prominent industry. Sltrns fruits have been cultivated to limited extent; there are number of orange trees in the neighborhood of Florence which bear their golden fruit each year without pro lection, and a few date palm trees are also m full bearing. The season is from six weeks to two months earher than Southern Caiitor- mia, which gives fruit growers an appreclat- ed advantage in
 THE EARLY MARKETS.
 The absence of fogs and nightly dews is formidable obstacle to the destructive and unsightly scale-bug. and the fruits of the valley are all bright and clean. All the agri- cultural products of temperate and semi tropic zones are easily grown here, the long seasons giving a succession or crops that double or treble the productive value of the land.
 PRICES OF LAND.
 Improved lands, with government title and water right, can be bought for from S20 to $50 psr acre, according to location and ini- provemeuts. In tho immediate neighbor- hood and to the south of the Casa Grande ruins there are thousands Of acres covered with heavy growth of mesquite timber yet open to settlement. These are among the choicest in the valley. Water In inexhaustl- ble quantity is found at depth of from twenty to thirty feet; in fact, river seems to be flowing underneath. Here Is splen- did opportunity to take up and improve land with pumping system of irrigation, which is said to be successful on small tracts However. with the completion of the Butte reservoir, pumping will be thing of the past, and it is only mentioned here for the purpose Of showing what can be done, and to magnify the further fact that what was once considered
 AN UEISHABITABLE DESERT
 Is in truth the most productive land on the globe, and that there is water in abundance to bring every foot of it under cultivation, only waiting for the magic wand of capital to, develop it. There is no water-storages scheme on the Pacific coast that has one-half the natural advantages and so few engineer ing difficulties as the Butte reservoir. Here nature has built the abutments in ever-iiv- ing rock and all that is left for man to do is to put in the headgate, the bluffs which form the gorge being only separated by peltry 226 feet. country is drained through this narrow canyon 200 miles square, representing 10000 square miles, or larger than Maine and Massachusetts combined. The rainfall is suf- ficient to ill the reservoir twice year, and the land to be brought under cultivation IS practically imitless. This may read like fairy tale but it is every word true, and has been verified time and again.
 CASA CYANIDE RESERVOIR.
 The reservoir of the Casa Grande Valley Canal company is the largest in the territory. It covers surface of 1890 acres with an aver age depth of F feet and contains about eight thousand million gallons of water. It is sit- uated fifteen miles southwest of Florence. A leVee of earth has been thrown up across a depression in the plain II 000 feet in length, 125 feet in width at the bottom and 9 feet in width at top, to slope on each side, and an average height of 9 feet. The waste is regu- lated by cast iron pipes feet in diameter, set in solid masonry regulated by gates and tower. This reservoir cost S150,o00, and sup plies water for 6,0OO acres.
 Meteorological Statistics.
 The signal service of the general govern ment maintained station at Florence from 1874 to 1892. The reports covering the period from July, 1880 to April, 1882, gives the follow ing statistics which may be taken as safe guide to the prevailing temperature given during the series of six yeas: