The Florence tribune., 1897-09-04
THE CASA eaANDE 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 from portions of Pima, Maricopa and 1avapal counties and contains an area ot 3,Sos siuarte miles, or 3, ,520 acres, one-thlro or Mnlc.n M. could be made productive by systei,na.io to storage of the surplus water now running Io waste. Next to Maricopa it is the most li- portant agricultural county inthe Territory. 1t it trayersed from east to west by the Southern Pacific railroad, and branch of the great Santa Fe system is now appsouonee ing from the north, The objective poin1 oi this read is connection with the ooIora o road of the same system: The Soutnern Pacific is also building in this direction rom Tempe,and it is confidently believed ui. th1e work will not cease until the Deer Sreen coal fields are reached and conneetlon ls made with another branch Of that roau run ming freM Bowie to Globe and now conplet- ed to Fort Thomas. the theater of railroad building at the pres ent time, and inside of year Florence, Vne county seat, will be
 A RAILROAD CENTER.
 At present it contains a population sof about i500, but with the completion of these two railroads and the Butte reservoir no city iI Arizona can approach it for natural advantages, and a large increase ln popula- tion will follow. Florence is at an elevation of 1858 feet absve seu level, situated near the Gila river, twenty-six miles northwest of the railroad station of Casa Grande, with which 1t is connected by an elegantly equipped fun by the old Casa Grande ruins, and passengers are allowed a short time to ln- spect them. There are many handsome pri- vate.residenees in Florence, several brick stores, good hotel an excellent graded school employing four teachers, churches, secret societies, Commercial CluD, news paper (the 0nly one in the countyls ana the handsemest court house in the Territory. Here is held the United States Court for the district composed of Glla' 1rnns mar ,r;th dtih shade trees, which impart an air or coniort on the warmest days.
 PRODUCTS OF THE VALLEY.
 Unlike the Salt river. the waters of the Gila are fresh and pure; the soil contains no Llkali, is deep. rich gray ash, especially adapted to the growth of the prune, olIye, 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 prominent industry. Citrus fruits have been cultivated to a limited extent; there are number of orange trees in the neighborhood of Florence which bear their golden fruit each year without pro tection, and a few date palm trees are also in full bearing. The season is from six weeks to two months earher than Southern Califor- hia. which gives fruit growers an appreciat- bd advantage in
 THE EARLY MARKETS.
 The absence Of logs ana nightly oeEs IS formidable obstacle to the destructive and unsighfly scale-bug. and the fruits Of the valley are all bright and clean. All the agri- cultural products of temperate and semi tropic zones are easily grown here, the long Seasons giving a succession Of crops that double or treble the productive value of the land.
 PRICES OF LAND.
 improved lands with government title and water right, can be bought for from SzO to aaaorf4fnor n location and lYn- provements. In the immediate neighbor- hood and to the south of the Casa Grande with a heavy growth of mesquite timber yet open to settlement. These are among the choicest in the valley. Water in inexhausti- ble quantity. is found at depth of from twenty to thirty feet; in fact, river seems to be flowing underneath. Here IS splen- did opportunity to take up and improve land with 2 pumping system oi lrrlga.lon' However, with the completion of the Butte reservoir, pumping will be thing or the past and It IS only mentioned hsre s Tor d ste .e magnify the further fact that what was once considered
 AN UHISHABITABLE DESERT
 is in truth the most productive land on the globe. and that there is water in abundance fo bring every foot of it under cultivation, nDiy wsitine for fine magic wand of capital to develop it. There is water-storage scheme on the Pacific coast that has one half the natural advantages and so rev engineer ing difficulties as the Butte reservoir. Here nature has built the abutments in ever-liy 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 s20 feet. 4 country is drained through this narrow canyon 200 miles square, representing 10000 square miles, or larger than Maine and Massachusetts combined. The rainfall is suf- ficient to fill the reservoir twice a year, and the land to be brought under cultivation is practically limitless. This may read like fairy 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. It tcoyers n surface of 1690 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. 4 levee of earth has been thrown up across depression in the plain 14, 900 feet in length, 125 feet in width at the bottom and p feet in 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 S1500O0, and sup plies water for 5000 acres.
 Meteorological Statistics.
 The signal service of the general govern ment maintained station at Florence from 1874 to 1s22- The reports covering the period from July 1880 to April 1882, gives the follow ing statistics which may be taken as safe