The Florence tribune., 1898-12-17
HE CASA eRANDE VALLEY.
information for Those Seeking Homes
 In the Garden Spot of tho West.


 In the Garden Spot of tho West.
 Pinal county was organized in 1875 from portions of Pima, Maricopa and Yayapai counties, and contains an area of s.SSs square miles, or 8, 1855 ,520 acres, one-third of which could be made productive by systematic storage of the surplus water now running to waste. Next to Maricopa 1t IS the most lm- portant agricultural county in the Territory. 1t it trayersed from east to west Dy the Southern Pacific railroad, and branch of the great Santa Fe system is now approach ing from the north. The objective point of this road is connection with the sonora road, of the same system. The Southern Pacific is also building in this direction from Tempe, and it is confidently believed that work will not cease until tke Deer Creek coal fields are reached and connection Is made with another branch of that road rum ming from Bowie to Globe and now complet- 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 scat. will be
 A RAILROAD CENTER.
 At present 1t contains a population of about l500, but with the completion or these tive railroads and the Butte reservoir no city in Arizona can approach 1t for natural advantages, and large increase In popula- tion will follow. Florence IS at an eIevatlpSn lSn of 1858 feet absve sea level, situated near the Gila river. twenty -six miles northwest or the railroad station of Casa Grande, with which it is connected by an elegantly. equipped run by the old Casa Grande ruins, and passengers are allowed short time to in- spect them. There are many handsome pri- stores, good hotel. an excellent graded school employ ing four teacners, churchss- secret societies a Commercial Club news paper the 9ny enc in the bs erritorT S,n Here is held tho United States Court for the district composed of Gila. Graham and Pinal counties The streets are lined with shade trees. W hich inpart an air of comfort on the Warmest days.
 PRODUCTS OF THE VALLEY.
 Unlike the salt river, the waters of the sila are fresh and pure; the soil contains no allaii, is a deep, rich gray ash, especially adapted to the growth of the prune, olive 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 destin- ed to become prominent industry. Citrus fruits have been cultivated to limited extent: there are a number of orange trees in the Beighborhood of Florence which bear their golden fruit each year without pro- tection, and few date palm trees are also in full bearing; The season IS from SIX weeks mia, which gives fruit growers an appreciat- cd advantage in
 THE EARLY MARKETS.
 The absence of foes and nightly dews is a formidable obstacle to the destructive and unsightly scale-bte. and the fruits of the valley arc ali bright and clean. All the agri- cultural products of temperate and semi tropie zones are easily grown here, the long seasons giving a succession of crops that double or treble the productive value of the land.
 PRICES or LAND.
 Improved lands, with government title and water right, can be bought for from SJ to $50 per acre, according to location and im- provements. In the immediate neighbor- hood and 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. ater in inexhaust- ble quantity is found at a depth of from twenty to thirty feet; in fact, river seems fo De flowing underneath. Here is a splen- tiiu opportunity to take I'D end imDroye % t%ana eAsi. pumping sFstan1 of irflgat oaf ~hish IS said to be successful on ssi.il tracts
 however with the eoeapiotion of the Butte 1eseTNoift psinsiarE niE be a thing of he Dst4ts and lt IS only mentioned here for fhf purpose of showing what can be done. and tf magnify the further fact that whnt qaz clsee eonsiderrd
 AN UHIHHABIrABLK DEszz
 as in truth the most productive land on th' globe. and that there is water isl abundance to bring every foot of t under cultivation lItit Mt1tiNA TOT " anu ot 1l-l-t-s- to develop it There Ia DO water-storagi scheme on the Pacific coast that has une-hal s-I-s natural advantages and 30 few engineer ing difficulties as the DastS 2ezerVoir- der' nature has built the abutments in eyer-1y ing rock, and all that is left for man to do i to put in the headgate the bluffs which form the gorge being only separated by paltr, 20 feet. A country is drained through thi narrow canyon 200 miles square, representing e0o0 squ2Ee Evl vl5 5lhbiS ed The rainfall is sui Ee-s.-s uil the reservoir twice year, ant the land to be brought under cultivation Il practically limitless. This may read like fairy tale, but it Is every word true, and ha. been verified time and again.