The Florence tribune., 1897-11-13
THE CASA eRANDE 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 iron; portions of Pima, alaricopa ana .a , sis al's.i M counties and contains m area cf 3.ooe s'l9lsI,S , miles or s, ,4S5, ,52o acres, one-third or W4iieh , could be made productive by a systelna.iS storage of the surplus water noT ruIhlnf rull. , ao waste Next to haricopa it is the most itn- portant agricultural county lnthe territory. It it trayersed from east to west py the Southern Pacific railroad, and bsanch ot the great Santa fe system IS now aPpfot'ones jag frem the north. The objective polnt or this road is 0 connection with the sonora road, of the same system. lhe oouthoIu Pacific is also building in this dWectloa Iron. Tempe,and it is confidently believed that work will not cease until ths Deer Sfeeh coal fields are reached and conhscti is made with another branch of that roaa tla,- i ming from Bowie to Gisbe and now complet-
 Thus it will be seen that Pinal county is the thsatcr of railroad building at the pres ent time, and inside of a year flofehee' tlie county seat will hs
 RAILROAD CENTER.
 At present it contains population sof about 1900, but with the completion Of these two railroads and the Butte reservoir no city in Arizona can approach 1t for natural advantages, and a large increase ia popuia- tiSn will follow. Florence is at an elevation 1i i515 feet above sen level, situated near tho Gila river, tweaty-six miles northwest of the ,t Is coanected by an elegantly equipped daily stage line. Going and coming stages run by the old Casa Grande ruins, ana passengers are allowed short time to in sPect theTa. Ihsre are IaGEy handsome pFi- Yates residences in Florence, several brick stores, good hotel, an excellent graded school employing four teachers, churches, secret societies. a Commercial Club, news paper (the only one in the countyl, and the handsomest court house in the Ierrltory. Here is held the United States Court for the district composed of Gila, Graham ana Pinal counties. The streets are ined Witn l shade trees. which impart an ar or coiioF' on the warmest days.
 PRODUCTS OF THE VALLEY
 Unlike tae Salt river. the waters of the Gila are fresh and pure; tAe soil contains no 1ikali, is a deep, rich gray ash, sspecialy adapted to the growth of the prune, oh!e, almond beach, fig, pear, apricot and IrnlIs of an kinds. which pay largely on the invest ment It is also the natural home Of aifaiIa, which grows in the most prolific manner Ths grape does exseptl9naiy Msa U da,t;,, is t;,s valley, and wine and raisin culture IS aessin- ed to become prominent industry Cltrus fruits have been cultivated 10 a hinttsn extent: there are a number of orange trees in the l,siyIborhr,,,d Of Florence which benr their golden fruit each year without pt9- lection and a few date palm trees are also III full bearing; The season Is from slS Nas.s to two months eerlier than Southern Califor- mia, which gives fruit growers an appreciat- ed advantage in
 THE EARLY MARKETS.
 The absence of fogs and nightly dews IS ? formidable obstacle to the desfruetiNe ana unsightly scaie-bug. and the trnits or the valley are oil bright and clean. All the asf.- cultural products of temperate and semi tropie zones arc easily grown here, the i'yiis seasons giving e succession of crops that double or treble the productive value of the land.
 Improved lands. with government title and water right, cGn be bought for from S-9 to $50 per acre, according to location and ini- proveneuts. In tho immediate nelgh hpor- hood and 10 the south of the Casa 1rEnde ruins there are thousands of acres covered with hsavy growth or mesquite timber yer open to settlement. These are among the choicest in the valley. " later in mex Saasstl- ble quantity is found ct depth of from twenty to thirty feet; in fact, river seems to be flowing underneath. Here IS sDlen- did opportunity to take up and improve land with pumping system or irrigation, which is said to be successful on small tracts. However with the completion of the Butte reservoir, pumping will be thing ct the past, and it is only mentioned here fer the purpose of showing what can be done and to magnify the further fact that what was once considered
 Al UsIsHABITABLE DESERT
 Is in truth the most productive land on the globe. and tha. 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 weter-storase scheme on the Pacific coast that has oas-haif the natural advantages and so few engineer ing difficulties as the Butte reservoir. Here nature has built the abutments in evsr-liy- ing rock, and all that is left for man to do IS to put in the heangate, the bluffs which form the gorge being only separated by q paAtry 220 feet. A country is drained through this narrow canyon 200 miles square, representing 40O09 square miles. or larger than Maine and Massachusetts combined. The rainfall is sui fieient to fiil the reservoir twice a year, and the land to be brought under cultivation is practically liTnitless. This may read like fairy tale, but it is every word true, and has been verified time and again.
 CASA GRAEDE RESERVOIR.
 The reservoir of the Casa Grande Valley Canal company is the largest in the territory. It covers surface of 1s90 acres with an aver age depth Of F feet, and contains abont eight thousand million gallons of water. 1t is sit uated fifteen miles southwest of Florence. A levee of earth has been thrown mp across a depression in the plain II .DO0 feet in length. 125 feet in width at the bottom and 2 feet in width at top to slope on each side, and an average height of Q feet. he waste IS regu- lated by cast iron pipes feet in diameter, set in solid masonry, regulated by gates and tower. This reservoir cost Sl50OJ9, and sup plies water for 6.009 acres.
 Meteorological Statistics.
 The signal service of the general govern ment maintained station at Florence from 1874 to Is82. The reports covering the period from July, 1680 to April, 1892, gives tho follow ing statistics, which may be taken as safe guide to the prevailing temperature given
 1880. Mean. Max. Min. July y..................... e6.5 ii 6l September ........,... SD 10l 4S October .....-..... s.....- 6S.J y3 S2