The Florence tribune., 1897-07-31
THE CASA eRANDe VALLEY.
information for Those Seeking Homes
 In inc Garden Spot of the West.

information for Those Seeking Homes |
 In the Garden Spot of the West.
 p;,,, ,,,,,,,+,, ,,as organized in 1875 from i portions of Pima. Maricopa and 1hNapai counties, and contains an area or 9,Sos sluISSaL lISL miles, or B. 4S5, ,520 acres, oHe,thifd ol sN could be made productive bS systeiinaiS ~. ! storasrc of the surplus water now ruhhliiS to waste Next to Maricopa 1t IS the most @ liil- portant agricultural county inthe lsfLl.otLS .L ft ii trayersed from east to west pS the Southern Pacific railroad, and brahch pi the great Santa Fe system Is now appt.oo.aei s ing from the north. The obJecslVs l'SSsno SnnoTa this road is a connection with the oohora opioi road of the same system: The eodtfneia fl Pacific is also building in this direetloh lIpaa % Tempe,and it is confidently ho oeI,esr Beer Creek coal fields are reached and conhecIon is made with another branch of that road run run ning from Bowie to GiSDe an@ Ao" SSAP
 Thus if viii be seen that Final county IS che theater of railroad building at the pres ent time and inside of a year Florehce' 'He county seat, will be
 RAILROAD CENTER.
 At present it contains a population soi about 1900, but with the completion ol nnsso ,so two railroads and the Butte feserno..r oo.,.ai nJ city in Arizona can approach if for hai euial advantages, and large increase m popti;ia. tian will follow. Florence is at an eieNation of 1858 feet above sea level, situated near the % gila river, twenty six miles northwest oI ths railroad station Of CaSa Nrunue. NieA it is connected by an elegantly. equlppeo daily stage line Going and coming stages run by the old Casa Grande ruins, anu passengers are allowed a short time 70 IF lH- spact them. There are many handsome pri- Vate.residenees in Florence, several DricS stores, good hotel, an excellent grapeo school employing four teachers, churches' secret societies Commercial Club, news uaper the only one in the county anu tne handssnest court house iu the IerrltoIIs. aI Here is held the United States Court for the district corup5sed of Gila, Graham and Pinal counties. The streets are Hneu Wltn shade trees, which impart an air of comfort on the wsrmest days.
 PRODUCTS OF THE VALLEY.
 Unlike the Salt river, the waters of the Gila are fresh and pure; the soil contains no .Ikali. is Q deep, rich gray ash, especially adapted to the growth of the prune. oilHe 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 destln- ed to become a prominent industry. Citrus fruits have been cultivated to limited extent; there are number of orange trees in the neighboThosd of Florence which bear their gsiden fruit each year without pro tecton, and few date palm trees are also In full bearing. The season is from six weeks to two months earlisr than Southern Califor- mia. which gives fruit growers an appreeiat- ed advantage in
 THE EARLY MARKETS.
 
 The absence of fogs and nightly dews is a 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 tropie zones are easily grown here the IqIs s seasons giving 8 succession Of crops that double or treble the productive value or the land.
 Improved lands, with government title and water right can be bought for from Szo to $50 per acre, according to location ana lIn- proyements. In the immediate neighDoIf- gI 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. ater In lneXnausti- ble quantity is found at depth Of from twenty to thirty feet; in fact, river seems to be flowing underneath. Here Is spien- did opportunity to take up and improve land with Q pumping system Of irrigation. which Is said to be successful on small tracts However, with the completion ot the Butte reservoir, pumping will be Q thing of the past. and 1t is only mentioned here for the purpose of showing that can be done, and to considered
 Al UEINHABITABLE 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 fhe magic wand Of capltai to develop it. There is no water-storase scheme on the Pacific coast that has one hah the natural advantages and so few engineer ing difficulties as the Butte reservoir here nature has built the abutments in eVer-ny- 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 paltry 220 feet country Is drained through thls narrow canyon 200 miles square. representing 40.OO0 square miles, or larger than Name ana Massachusetts combined. The rainfall Is sui, ficient to fill the reservoir twice year, and the land to be brought under cultivation IS practically hnitiess. This may read like {airy 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 Itcovers surface of 1600 acres, with an aver age depth of 12 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 up across depression in the plain l4, 900 feet in length. I25 feet in width at the bottom and 25 feet in width at top ? to 1 slope on each side, and an average height of 9 feet. The waste is regu- lated by 8 east iron pipes feet in diameter, set in solid masonry, regulated by gates and foWer This reservoir cost SI5O 000, and sup niles water for G.000 acres.
 Meteorological Statistics.
 The signal service of the general govern ment maintained station at Florence from 1874 to 1882 The reports covering the period from July, 1SS0 to April, 1882, gives the follow ing statistics, which may be taken as a safe guide to the prevailing temperature given