The Florence tribune., 1897-09-18
THE CASA eRAN0e VALLEY.
Information for Those Seeking Homes In the Garaen Spot of the West.

 Information for Those Seeking Homes
 In the Garaen Spot of the West. Pinal county was organized in 1875 from | portions of Pima, MarleOpa aud aNaie1 counties and contains an area Of 3, a1esd{atats miles or & 4S5 521 acres one-third of " whieh could be made productive by T sNsts.iiis.te storage of the surplus water now fuhhinA so waste. Next to Maricopa 1t IS the host illl- portant agricultural county inthe terItsol,s. 1t it trayersed from east 10 west ps eiie Southern Pacific railroad. and Dfensh 9i the great Santa fe system IS now oppsosctiss ine from the north. The objective point or this road is e connection with Vhe sonora road, of tke same system: The 2oetilern Pacific is also bAiding in thts eireetioIl II oili Tempe,and it is confidently believed tt,s thsie work will not cease until the Deer SFeeh coal fields are reached and eonneetlon ls made with another branch of that roaa run tl1 ming from Bowie to GlSbe and now coiniiee- Thus it viii ss seen that Pinal county is the theater of railroad building at the pres tfr ent time, and inside of a year Florence, the county seat, will be
 RAILROAD CENTER.
 At present it contains population sof about 1900, but with the completion or these two railroads and tho Butte reserVolr Eo city In Arizona can approach it for natural advantages, and a large increase in popnia- tion will follow. Florence is at elevation or 1888 feet absye sea level, situated near the ella flyef, VHenty-six miles northwest ot the railroad station of Casa 5rande, with which it is connected by an elegantly equipped daily stage line. Going and coming stages run by the old Casa Grande ruins, and passengers are allowed q short time to in- spsct them. Tkero are many handsome pri- vate.reSidences in Florence, several brick stores, good hotel, an excellent gfaaeu school employing four teachers, churches secret societies, a Commercial Club, news paper tthe only one in the eountyl, and the hand sSnaest court house in the Territory. Here is hold the United States Court for the district composed ef Gtia, draham qua shade trees, which impart an air Of comfort on the warmest days.
 PRODUCTS OF THE VALLEY.
 Unlike the Salt river, the waters of the Siia are fresh and purei the soil contains no 10 Alkeli Is deep, rieA gray asn ,i;,..s almond, peach, fig, pear, apricot and runs of all kinds, N hieh pay largely on the invest .s mont. It is also the natural nome of alIaiia, which grows in the most proiiEc manner. The grape does exceptionally well ia fnfs valley, and wine and raisin culture IS 1sstin- ed to become prominent industry Sttus fruits have been cultivated to limited extent tnsre are number of orange trees in the aeiEhborhood of Florence which bear their gslJea fruit each year without pro tection, and few date palm trees are also m full bearing. The season is from six weeks to two months earher than Southern Caitor- nie, which gives fruit growers an appreeiat- ed advantage ln
 TEE EARLY MARKETS.
 The absence of fogs and nightly dews is formidable obstacle to the destructive uitd u1sightly seale-hug. and the Irllits of the valley are all bright and clean. All the agil- cultural products Of temperate and semi tropie zones are easily grown here, the long seasons giving a succession of crops that double or treble the productive value of the land.
 Improved lands. with government title and water right can be bought for from S20 to granrefIRrr fDpnrIH1 and llQ- proysmenfs. In the immediate nelghbor- hood and to the south oI the Casa Granae ruins there are thcusands or acres eoYeIssi with 9 heavy growth ot mesquite timber yea open to settlement Ehese gre among tie choicest in the valley. " ater in mex hatlstl- ble quantity IS found at depth et rom twenty to thirty feet; in fact, e river seems to be flowing underneath. Here is Q splen- did opportunity to take up and improve land with a pumping system of irrigation. which is said to be successful on small tracts. However, with the completion of the Butte reservoir, pumping will be Q thing or the purpose of showing what can be done, and to magnify the further fact that " hat was once considered
 AZ USINHABIrABIE 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 t. There is no wGtsr-storage scheme on the Pacific coast that has one-ha
 
 ing disHcuities as the Butte reservoir. Here nature has built the abutments in eFer-iy- 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 a paltry 220 feet. 4 country Is drained through this narrow canyon POO miles square. repI esentinig 49,009 sqHnre miles, or larger than Maine and Massachusetts combined. 1hsrainfali is suf- fcient to fli the reservoir twice year, and the land to Do brought under euitivation IS practically Hmitless. hts may read like a fairy tale, but it is every word true, and has been verified time and again.
 CASA GRAsDE RESERVOIR.
 The reservoir of the Casa Grande Valley Canal company is the largest in the territory. It covers surface or 1dl9 acres, with an aver age depth of F feet. and contains about etgtl thousand million gallons Of water. 1t is sit- hated fifteen miles southwest of Florence. 4 Ievee of earth has been thrown up across depression in the plain 14.0o0 feet in length. 125 feet in width at the bottom and p feet Tn width at top. 2 to slope on each side, and an average height of 9 feet. The waste is regu- lated by 3 cast iron pipes feet in diameter, set in solid masonry. regulated by gates and tower. This reservoir cost Sl59,O00. and sup plies water for 6,01O acres.
 Meteorological Statistics.
 The signal service of the general govern ment maintained a station at Florence from 1874 to 1882. The reports covering the period from uly, lS50, to April, 1882, gives the follow ing statistics, which may be taken a safe guide to the prevailing temperature given
 ~ ' lss0. Mean. Max. Min. July y...4...-.................b8 III 0l August t.-......--.-..........55. .55.1 IF 60 September er.......-..........el.0 10I 48 October ...-.-...... 0S.0 y3 S3 November -----.........---. 5z1 59 Z3 noaarofar 50.9 IT 27