The Florence tribune., 1898-08-27
TIE CASA eRANDE VALLEY.
information for Those Seeking Homes
 In the Garden Spot ot the West.

Pinal county was organized in 1875 from portions of Pima. Maricope and Yavapai counties, and contains an area of 5,S5s square miles, or 3, ,lS5,5 ,520 acres, one-third or which could be made productive by systematic storage Cf the surplus water now running to waste Next to Maricopa 1t Is the most im- portant agricultural county in the Territory. It it traversed from east to west by the Southern Pacific railroad, and a branch of the great Santa Fe sy ystem Is now approach. ing frenl the Rorth. The objective point of this read is connection with the Sonora road, ct tho same system The Southern Tempe,and it Is confidently believed that work will Rot cease until the Deer Creek coal fields are reached and connection IS made with another branch of that road run ming from Bowie to Globe and HOW compiet- ed to Fort Thomas.
 Thus it will be seen that Pinal county Is the theater of railroad building at the pres ent time, and inside of year Florence, the county seat. will be
 RAILROAD CENTER.
 At present it contains population Fof about 1900, but with the completion of these two railroads and the Butte reservoir no city in Arizona can approach 1t for natural advantages Band large increase in popnla- tion will follow. Florence Is nt an elevation of 1858 feet abeve sea level situated near the Gila river, twenty-six miles northwest of tho railroad station of Casa Grande, with which it is connected by un elegantly equipped duly stage line. Going and comlng stages run by the old Casa GraRde ruins, ana passengers are allowed short time 10 m spect them. There are many handsome pri- yate residences in Florence, several brick stores, good hotel, an excellent graded school employing four tenehers, churches secret societies, . Commercial Club. news paper (the only enc in the county, and the handsomest court house in the Ierrltory. Here is held the United States Court sor ths district composed of Gila. Graham and PiHal counties. The streets are lined with shade trees. which impart an air or comfort on the warmest days.
 PRODUCTS OF THE VALLEY.
 Unlike the Salt river, the waters of the .iila are fresh and purei the soil contains 1. no all<ali, Is deep, rich gray ash, especially adapted to the growth of the prune, oiiye. amUpd peach fig psas sPFcos on sbe sSe ment. It Is also the natural home of alfalfa, which grows in the most prollnc manner. The grape, does exceptionally well m tn this vnlley, and wine and raisin culture Is destin- ed to become prominent industry Citrus fruits have been cultivated to limited extent; there are a number of orange trees in the neighborhood of Florence which bear their golden fruit each year without pro lection, and few date palm trees are also m full bearing: The season IS from SIX weeks to two months oarlIer than Southern Caliior- nia, which gives fruit growers an appreclat- cd advantage in
 THE EARLY MARKETS.
 The absence of fogs and nightly dews Is Q formidable obstacle to the destructive and unsightly scale-bug, and the fruits Of the valley are ali bright and clean. All the agri- cultural products of temperate and semi tropic zones are easily grown here, the long seasons giving q succession of croFs 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 go to $50 per acre. according to location and inn proyements. In the immediate neighborr- hood aud 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. Water in mex hansti- bie quantity Is found at a 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 a pumping system of irrigation, which is said to be successful on small tracts. However. with the completion ot the Butte reservoir. pumping will be thing of the past, and it 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 UyISHABIrABLE DESERT
 Is in truth the most productive land on the globe, and that there Is water In abundance to bring every foot of 1t under cultivation, only waiting for the magic wand of capital to develop it. There is no water storage scheme on the Pacific coast that has one-haH the natural advantages and so few engineer Ing dln1cuiffeS uS the BtlItc TeSerNoiT. E6Ie nature has built the ebutments 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 20 feet. A country is drained through this narrow canyon 20 miles square, representing +0000 square miles or larger than Maine and Massachusetts combined. The rainfall is suf ficient to fill the reservoir twice Q year, and the land to be brought under cultivation is practically limtless. 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. Itcovers Q surface of 1890 acres, with an aver age depth of 12 feet and contains about eight thousand million gallons of water. It is sft- uated fifteen miles southwest of Florence. A levee of earth has been thrown up across a depression in the plain II, 900 feet in length, 125 feet in width at the bottom and 9 feet in width at top 2 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 a station at Florence from 1874 to 1882. The reports covering the period