The Florence tribune., 1897-10-23
THE CASA eaANDe VALLEY.
information for Thoso Seeking Homes
 In the Garden Spot Of the West.

information for Thosa Seeking Homes
 In the Garden Spot Of the West.
 pinalcouaty wns organized in lsl9 from nortions of Pima MasicOpa ana ' Nfai'ai counties and contains an area 3a s',v s SLiab miles, or s,4S5,520 acres, one,tharo oi MnsSn gu could be made productive p9 sa ate1iisa.ie ~ storage of the surplus water now ruilAt'fs '" waste Next to Maricopa it is the most l9n- ,oortant aorricult,irsl county inthe Territory it it traversed from east to Mese pa eAS Southern Pacific railroad, and bfGueh or the great Santa Fe system Is now eppfoaaenss iHg from the north. The objective point Of this road is connection with the sonora road, of the same system: ne Souensrh Pacific is also building in this airect,on from Tempe, and it is confidently believed that work will not cease until the Deer Sreek coal Reds reached and eonnee'loh IS made with another branch or that foau run ming from Bowie to Globe and ROW eomplet- cd to Fort Thomas.
 Thus 1t will be seen that Pinel county IS the theater of railroad building at the pres ent time, aud inside of year Florence, the county seat, will be
 A RAILROAD CENTER.
 At present it contains a population sof ahsut lso0 but with the completion of these two railroads and the Butte reservoir 9 ls9 city in Arizona can approach It Tor hNtuIai advantages, and large increase In poPM.ia- tion will follow florence Is ct an eisNetsQn of t553 fest above sea level situated near tae tsila river. twenty- six miles northwest or tiie railroad station ef Casa Grsnde, with when lt is connected by an elegantly elulppea daily s1ase line. lsoiEg and coming stages run bs th9 elo Casa Graaae runs, sao passengers arg allowed q short tims 10 IT. saegt Lhesa 1aars ara tnIsry hanuSoine Pfi- vatesresidsnces in Florence, several bflch stores, good hotel. an excellent grehse ;,.sss esoret societies. a Commercial Cup, IsNs- paper .rhu anl7 enc in the countyl and the hsnasanlest court house ln the 1erfltors. Here is Asid lhs Unitsd States Court Tor the district eo1apeseA Of Slia, Sranain 5s5 .aI a,lI Pinal counties. The streets are hnel Ml.n a shade trees which iinpart an ar or eonaloft on the waVnest Jays.
 raaprcrs or THE VALLEY.
 Unlike tae Salt river, the waters of the Sila are fresh and pare; the soil contains no 4lkali, is deep, rich gray ash especially adapted to the growth of the prUas; oilye, alIaoad, peach, tg, pear. apricot and fruits of all kinds. which pay largely ou the invest nent. It IS Glss the natural home Of aifalfa, which grows in the most prolific manner. The grape does exceptionally well in this valley, and wiRe and raisiH culture Is destin- ed to become prominent industry. Citrus fruits have been cultivated to limited exteat; thsre are number of orange trees in the Reighborhoed of Florence which bear their golden fruit each year without pro tection, aRd fsw date palm trees are also in full bearing. The season IS rom SIX weeks to two months earller than Southern talitor- mia, which gives fruit growers an eppreelat- cd advantage in
 THE EARLY MARKETS.
 The absence of fogs and nightly dews is g formidable obstacle to the destructive and unsightly scais-bug. and thu fruits of the valley are all bright and clean. All the agr!- cultural products of temperate and semi tropic zones are easily grown here, fhe i9ns seasons giving a succession or crops .thttt double or treble the productive Yeius cf the
 PRICES OF LAND.
 Improved lands, with government title and water right, can he bought for from 32D to $50 per eere, according to location and IIr- provements In tke Immediate Reighbor- hood aud to the south of the Casa Gfande ruins there are thousands of acres covered with heavy growth of mesquite timber yet omen fo seftIef.leut These are among the choicest in the valley. Water in mex hatlstl- ble quantity is found at a depth or from twenty to thirty feet; in fact, river EeeinS to be flowing underneath. Here is spien- 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 thlHs ol tils past, and it is only mentioned hefe TOT .ns purpose of showing what can be done, and to magnify the further fact that what was once considered
 Al UEISHABITABLE DESERT
 is in truth the most productive land on tho globe, and that there is water in abundance Co bring every foot of it under euitiyatlon; only waiting for the magic wand of capital to develop it. There is no water-storage scheme on the Pacific coast that has one-haif the natural advantages and so few engineer ing difficulties as the Butte reservoir. Here nature has built the abutmeuts in eyeF-Iiy- ing rock. and all that is left for man to do IS to put in the headgate, the bluffs which feIli the gorge being only separated by paiti.y 20 feet. 4 country is drained through thls narrow canyon 200 miles square, representing A0000 square miles. or larger than Maine and Massachusetts combined. The rainfall IS suf- ficient to fill the reservoir twice year, and the land to be brought under eultiygtion IS practically liTaitIess. This may read like a fairy tale. but it is every word true, and has been verified time and again.
 CASA eRAsDs REsERvoIR.
 The reservoir of the Casa Grande Valley Canal company is the largest in the territory. IteoyerS a surface of I500 acres. with an aver age depth of F feet, and contains about eight thousand million gallons of water. lt IS sit hated fifteen miles southwest Of Florence. A levee of earth has been thrown mp across depression in the plain Il, ,e91 feet ln length, 125 feet in width at ths bottom and p feet ln width at top to 1 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 Sl50.UJJ, and sup plies water for 6,OOO acres.
 Meteorological Statistics.
 The signal service of the general govern rnent maintained station at Florence from 1874 to 1882. The reports covering the period from July 1880, to April 1882 gives the follow guide to the prevailing temperature given u"f' ls55. s5l 7'' - = '-' Mean. Max. Min. July y..................-..... -s6.6 III el August. ....,.t.s..-.. .eo.0 Itz v1 September -sl-0 II. s9 October .................... 6s.0 s0 s3 November ..-.........-.... 52.l sg 70 December r-............-..... .50.9 T 27