The Florence tribune., 1898-07-23
THE CASA eRANoe VALLEY.
hformatlon f5r Those Seeking Homes
 in the Garden Spot of the West.

in the Garden Spot of the West.
 Pinal county was organized in 1875 from portions of Pima, Maricopa and Navapai counties, and contains an area uf a.S5o square miles. or 3,435 a3O acres, oue-third ot when could be made productive by a systematic stdrage [ the surplus water now running to waste. Next to Maricopa 1t is the most im- portant agricultural county in the Territory. 1t it traversed from east to west by the Southern Pacific railrond, and a branch ot the great Santa Fe system Is now approach ing from tke north. The objective point of this road is a cohheetion 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 Sreeh coal fields are reached and connection IS made with another branch of that road run ming from Bowie to Globe and now eomplet- ed to Fort Thomas.
 the theater of railroad building at the pres ent time, and inside of year Florence, the eountS seat, will be
 A RAILROAD CENTER.
 At present it contains a population .of abodt 15O0, but with the completion oi Hnese .sSs two railroads and the Butte reservoir no city in Arizona can approach It TOT hatuTAi advantages, land la -ge increase Tn popuiu- tion will follow. Florence IS at an eIes1'tIs t,a Csila river twenty y-six miles northwest oi the railroad station of Casa Grande, with when it is connected by an elegantly equippeu Jvily stage line. Going and coming stages run by the old Casa Grande ruins, anu passengers are allowed Q short time te ln- spect them. There are many handsome PIT, Pri,- Vate residences in Florence, several piiet1 stores. good hotel an excellent graded school employing four teachers, churcnes' secret societies, a Commercial CluD, u news paper tthe only one in the county < anu tne handsomest court house in the Territory. Here is held the United States Court TOT tnS district composed of Glla 1rnnaLn nnI ,,l;.b d.b Pinal counties. The streets are lined Mitn shade trees, which impart an air or coiniort on the warmest days.
 PRODUCTS OF THE VALLEY.
 Ualike the Salt river, the waters of the aSila are fresh and pure; the soil contains no no Alixali, is a deep, rich gray ash especlely adapted to the growth of the prune, oiIe, almond. peach, fig, pear. apricot and fruits of all kinds which pay largely on the invest xnent. It is also the natural home or altaiIa, which grows in the most proilnc manner. ats ! The grape does exceptionally well in this valley, and wine and rnfsin culture IS uestin- ed to become prominent industry. Citrus fruits have been cultivated 10 ninIteo M extent; there are number of orange trees in the neighborhood of Florence Whch pear their golden fruit each year without pro tection, and few date palm trees are also !, ln full bearing. The season Is from SIX weeks to two months earlIer than Southern Cailior- nia, which gives fruit growers ar appreeiat- ed advantage in
 THE EARLY MARKETS.
 The absence of fogs and nightly dews Is 2 formidable obstacle to the destructlve anc unsightly scale-bug, and the fruits Of the valley are all bright and clean. All the agrii cultural products of temperate and semi tropic zones are easily grown here, the iQhs seasons giving succession Of crops tna' double or treble the productive value ot ths land.
 lmproyed lands, with government title and s.~1.k ls, Hobf for from $50 per acre. according to location and I'm movements. In the immediate nelgnDor hood aud to the south of the Casa e. 0ranas ruins there are thousands of acres covered witk heavy growth of mesquite timber ye' open to settlement These are among fht choicest in the valley. Water in inexnailstl ble quantity is found at depth of iron twenty to thirty feet; in fact, river seem' to be flowing underneath. Here IS a spien did opportunity to take up and improve land with pumping system or lrrigatloh which is said to be successful on small tracts However, with the completion of the Butts reservoir, pumping will be thing or th' past and it is only mentioned here for thi purpose of showing what can be done, ana t' magnify the further fact that what was one' considered
 AN UNISHABITABLE DESERT
 Ia in truth the most productive land on tn globe, and that there is water III nDundanc to bring every foot of 1t under cultivation only waiting for the magic wand Of capita to develop 1t. There is no water-storag
 
 scheme on the Pacific coast that has one-hal the natural advantages and so few engineer ing difficulties as the Butte reservoir. her mature has built the abutments Tn eYer-ly dng rock, and all that is left for man to do to put in the headgate, the bluffs which forH the gorge being only separated by paltr 22O feet. country Is drained through thl narrow canyon 200 miles square, representing 10000 square miles. or larger than Maine an Massachusetts combined. The rainfall IS sui ficient to fill the reservoir twice year. am the land to be brought under cultivation 1 practically limitless. This may read like fairy tale but it is every word true, and ha been verified time and again.
 CASA CYANIDE RESERVOIR.
 The reservoir of the Casa Grande valle Canal company is the largest in the territory Itcovers a surface of 1890 acres, with an aver age depth of F feet. and contains about eigh thousand million gallons of water. It IS sit hated fifteen miles southwest Of Florence A leyee of earth has been thrown up acros depression in the plain II, ,0OO feet in lengti I25 feet in width at the bottom and z5 feet | width at top 2 to slope on each side, and a average height of 25 feet. The waste IS regu lated by 8 cast iron pipes feet in diameter set in solid masonry, regulated Dy gates an tower. This reservoir cost Si5o,U00, and sup plies water for 5000 acres.
 Meteorological Statistics.
 The signal service of the general govern ment maintained a station at Florence froI I87i fo Is82 The reports covering the perio'