The Florence tribune., 1897-10-02
THE CASA GRANDE VALLEY.
Information for Those Seeking Homes
 In the Garden Spot of the West:

m the dSrQSn OpOL Ot AuC NNCSAs Pinal county was organized in 1875 from portions of Pima, Maricopa ana oad analsa, counties, and contains an area of s.Sbs square miles. or 8. .520 acres, one-third or when could be made productive by systenatlc storage of the surplus water nov runnlng 70 waste. Next to Maricopa it is the most im- portant agricultural county inthe IerrltoIy. 1t it trayersed from east to west by the Southern Pacific railroad, and branch or the great Santa Fe system is now approacnss ing from the north. The objective point or this road is a connection with the sonora road, of the same system: The southern Pacific is also building in this direction rom Tempe and it is confidently believed that work will not cease until the Deer Sreeah coal fields are reached and connection IS made with another branch of that road run ming from Bowie to Glsbe and now c0mplet- ed to Fert Thomas. l. Thus it will be seen that Pinal county Is the theater of railroad building at sne prghss ths ent time, and inside of year rlorehce' ehe bounty seat, will bo
 ARAILRoAD CENTER.
 At nresent it contains a population sof about l500, but with the completion or these two railroads and the Butte reservoir Ho city in Arizona can approach 1t for hhtuIai advantages, aud large increase in popuIa- tion will follow. Florence is at an elevation Of l55S feet abeye sea level, situated near tne Gila river. twenty-six miles northwest or the railroad station of Casa Grande with winch 1t is connected by elegantly equlppea daily stage line. Going and coming stages run by the old Casa Grande ruins, aud passengers are allowed a short tune to ln- hpect them. There are many handsome prl- vatesresidences in Florence, several pric5 stores good hotel, an excellent graded school employing four teachers, churehes, secret societies, a Commercial Club, news paper (the only one in the countyls and the haRdsSmest court house in the Territory. Here Is held the United States Court for the district composed of Gila, Graham ana Pinal counties. The streets are lined with shade trees, v hich impart an ar or comiorI on the warmest days.
 PRODUCTS or THE VALLEY.
 Unlike the Salt river, the waters ot the Sila Ars fresh and pure; the soil contains no alkali- is deep, rich gray ash, especlaaaH a..s adapted to the growth of the prune, oilye, almozd, peach fig, pear, apricot and fruits of all kinds. which pay largely on the invest- msnt. It is alsO the natural home of anaIIa' which grows in the most prollnc manner. The grape does exceptionally well Tn tnls valley. and wine and raisin culture IS destin- ed to become prominent industry. Cltrus fruits have been cultivated to ninI.eu M extent: there are a number of orange trees in the neighbcrhood of Florence which bear their gsiasn feuit each year without pro lection. aud few date palm trees are also m full bearing The season is from six weeks to two months earher than Southern Cailior- mia, which gives fruit growers an appreciat- ed advantage in
 THE KAELx MARKETS.
 The absence of fogs and nightly dews is forEnidable obstacle to the destructiye ana slnsightly seale-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, tke lehs seasons giving succession Of crops that double or treble the productive yalne of the land.
 PRICES OF LAND.
 Improved lands with government title aHd water sight. can be bought for from go to $50 per acre, according to location and in- T.. N4afa ieF n hood and to the south of the Casa Grande ruins there are thousands of acres covered with heavy growth ef mesquite timber yet open to settienent- These are GEcng t4e ehoieezt in tke Ealley- Water In inexhansti- 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 aHd improve land with a pumping system of irrigation, which is said to be successful on small tracts. reservoir. pumping will be a thing of the past and 1t Is only mentioned here for the purpose of showing what can be done, and to magnify the further fact that what was once considered
 AN UEINHABIxABLE 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 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 eyer-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 z20 feet. A country is drained through this narrow canyon 200 miles square, representing zaO00 square miles. or larger than Maine and Massachusetts combined. The rainfall is suf- fcient to fill the reservoir twice 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 GRAHDE RESERVOIR.
 The reservoir of the Casa GraRde Valley Canal company is the largest in the territory It covers a surface Of lsO0 acres, with an aver age depth of 12 feet, and contains about eight thousand million gallons of water. H Is sit uated fifteen miles southwest of Florence. 4 levee of earth has been thrown-Hp across a depression in the plain II, eco feet in length, 125 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 cast iron pipes feet in diameter, set in solid masonry, regulated by eates and tower. This reservoir cost $1sa.e9o. end sup piles water for 5000 acres
 Meteorological Statistics.
 The signal service of the general govern ment maintained station at Florence from 1874 to 1882. The reports covering the period