The Florence tribune., 1897-12-04
THE CASA GRANDE VALLEY.
Information for Those Seeking Homes
 In ths 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 and taValal counties and contains an area or 9,aoS ssl1aISS IS miles, or 8, ,4S5,5z0 acres, one-thlrd ot WiiSil could be made productive by systeInatie storage Of the surplus water now fuhllhf tO waste. Next to Marioopa It Is the Iioas m lll- portant agricultural county in nthe AeffleoI9. it it traversed from east to west by the Southern Pacific railroad, and Bruhen pA the great Santa Fe system Is now epptoaenes ing from the north. The objective pomt ol this road is a connection with the sonora road of the same system. Ihe southern Pacific is also building in this direction rom rom work will not cease until the Deer Creek coal fields are reached and eonneetlon ls made with another branch Of that roao run M ming from Bowie to Globe and now cchPiet- ed to Fort Thomas. !; Thus it viii be seen that PinRl county Is the theater of railroad building at the pres ent time, and inside of year Florence tne county seat, will be
 ARAILaoAD oRETER.
 At present it contains a population sof about 1900, but with the completion or these two railroads ard the Butte reservoir no city in Arizona caa approach 1t for aaturai advantages, and large increase in popula- tion will follow. Florence is st RT elevation ef 1858 feet above sca level, situated near the Gila river. t7sesty-siz miles northwest Of the
 
 it is connected by nn elegantly eauiiped daily stage line. Going esd eonaing staseS run by the old Casa Grande ruins, anu passengers are allowed Q short time to m speet them. There are many handsome pri- vatesresidenees in Florence, several bflck school e5nSloying four teachers, churches secret societies, CoIamerelal Clup' a a leW tt paper tthe enly one in the county ana r, ,.,o haaasamest court house in tho IerfitorTy. Here is held tho United States Court Tor the district composed ef Glia 1rnnain ;1aa ,,tirh arh shade trees which impart an air Of comfort on he warmest days.
 PRODUCTS OF THR VALLEY.
 Unlike tho Salt river. the waters of the Gila are fresh and pure; the soil contains i TO alkah, is deep, rich gray ash, especiIaliy Il,ic adapted to the growth of the prune, oiiye almond. peach, fig, pear, apricot aud fruits of all kinds, which pay largely on the invest msnt. 1t is Glso the natural home or alaila a which grows in the most prolac manner. The grape does exceptionally well ln tnls valley. and wine and raistn culture IS aestln- Is. ed to become a prominent i1dus'Iy' ,;+1;tuJ extent; there are 0 number of orange trees in the neighborhood of Florence winch bear their golden fruit each year without pro lection, and few date palm trees are also m full bearing. The season is from SIX weeks to two months earber than Southern Cailior- mia, which gives fruit growers an eppFeelat- cd advantage in
 EHR EARLY MARKETS.
 Ihe absence Of legs and HAgntiy tt.Ns iS 1 formidable obstacle to the destFlletlVe ana unsightly scale-bug. and the fruits or me valley are all bright and clean All the agri- cultural products of temperate ana semi % -tropic zones are easily grown here, the long seasons giving a succession or crops that double or treble the productive value of the
 PRICES OF LAND.
 Improved lands. with government title and water right, can be bought for from S-O to $50 per acre according to location and im- provements. In tAe immediate nslghbor- 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 Tn inexhaustl- ble quantity is found at depth Of rom twenty to thirty feet in fact, river seems to be flowing underneath. Here IS splen- did opportunity to take up and improve land with 0 pumping system or irrlgation' which is said to be successful on sslatl tracts. However, with the completion oI the Butte reservoir, pumping will be a 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
 AZ 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 eapita to develop it. There is no water-storas;e scheme on the Pacific coast that has one-hali the natural advantages and so few eRgi 1eer- ing difficulties as the Butte reservoir. Here nature has built the abutments in eyer-liy- ing rock, and all that is left for man to do IS to put il the hsadgate, the bluffs which form the gorge being only separated by paltTy 20 feet. 4 country is drained through this narrow canyon 2J0 miles square, representing 4Oo9O square miles. or larger than Blaine and Massachusetts combined. The raiafall is sui ficient to fill the reservoir twice year, and the land to be brought under cultivation Is practically limitless. This may read like a fairy tale, but it is every word true, and has been verified time and again.
 CASA GRAHDE RESERVOIR.
 The reservoir of the Casa Grande Valley Canal company is the largest in the territory. It covers q surface of 1909 acres, with an aver ags depth of F feet, and contains about eight thousand million gallons of water. It IS sit- uated fifteen miles southwest Of Florence. A leyee of earth has been thrown mp across a depression in the plain II. .050 feet in length, 125 feet in width at the bottom and 25 feet in width at top, to 1 slope 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 $150,000. and sup plies water for e,o00 acres.
 Meteorological Statistics.
 The signal service of the general govern rnent 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