The Florence tribune., 1898-09-24
THE CASA eRANoE VALLEY.
Information for Those Seeking Homes In the Garden Spot of the West.


 Pinal couaty was organized in 1875 from portions of Pima, Maricopa and Yavapai counties, and contains an area of 3, ,S66 square miles, or $, 520 acres, one-third Of which could be made productive by systematic storage cf the surplus water now running to waste. Next to Maricopa it is the most im- portant agricultural county in tlse Territory. It 1t traversed from east to west by the Southern Pacific railroad, and 2 brsnca pr Ing from the north. The objective point ot this read Is connection with the sonora road, ef the same system; The southern Pacific is alse building in this direction rom Tempe,and 1t Is confidently believed that werk will Hot cease until the Deer Creek coal fields are reached and connection IS made with another branch of that road run ming frem Bowie to Globe and HOW complet- ed te Fort Thomas.
 Thus 1t will be seen that Pinal county Is the theater of railroad building at the pres ent time, and inside of 6 year Florence, the county seat, wiilbe
 RAILROAD CENTER.
 about 1500 bus with the completion of these two 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 elevation of 1858 feet above sea level, situated near the Gila river, twenty-six miles northwest oI the railroad station of Casa Grande, with which 1t is connected by an elegantly. equipped dvily stage line. Going and coming stages run by the cid Casa Grande ruins, and passengers are allowed a short time to in- yate residences in Florence, several brick stores, geod hotel, excellent gradeo school employing four teachers, churches, secret societies, Commercial CiuD. news paper (the only one in the countyl. and the handsamest court house In the Territory. Here Is held the United States Court for the Pinal counties. The streets are lined with shade trees which impart an air of comfort on the warmest days.
 PRODUCES OF THR VALLEY.
 Unlike the Salt river, the waters of the Aila are fresh and pure; the soil contains no Alkah, is deep, rich gray ash, especially almond, peach, fig. pear, apricot and fruits of all kinds " hich pay largely on the invest ment. It is also the natural home or alfalfa, The grape does exceptionally well in this valley, and wine and raisin culture is destin- ed to become 8 prominent industry. C1trus fruits have been cultivated to limited extent; there are number of orange trees In the neighborhood of Florence which bear their golden fruit each year without pro- and 5sx date pa frs ss to two months earlieP than Southern Califor- mia. which gives fruit growers sn sppreciat- cd advantage In
 THE EARLY MARKETS.
 The absence of fogs and nightly dews is formidable obstacle to the destructive and unsightly scale-bug. and the fruits of the cultural products of temperate and semi- tropic zones are easily grown here, the long seasons giving succession of crops that double or treble the productive value of the land.
 PRIoRs OF LAND.
 Improved lands, with government title and water right, can be bought for from k1O to Fper location In the Immediate neighbor- hood and to the south of the Casa Grande gysps there are th9usends oi acres ss Gcsere9 =. open to settlement. These are among the choicest In the valley. Water in inexhausti- ble quantity. is found at depth or rom twenty to thirty feet; in fact, river seems Co be flowing underneath. Here Is a splen- did opportunity to take up and improve land with pumping system or lrr1hgasaon.
 However, with the completion of the Butte reservoir, pumping will be thing of the purpose of showing what can be done, and to magnify the further fact that what was once considered
 AN UxTxHABITAHLE DEsERr
 globe, and that there Is water in abundance to bring every foot of it under cultivation, only waiting for the magic wand of capital Co develop It. There is no water-storage scheme on the Pacific coast that has one-half the natural advantages and so few engineer ing difficulties as the Butte reservoir. Here nature has built the abutments in ever-liv- ing rock, and all that is left for man to do is Co put in the headgate. the bluffs which form the gorge being only separated by paltry 20 feet. 4 country Is drained through this narrow canyon 200 miles square, representing l0OO0 square miles, or larger than Maine and Massachusetts combined. The rainfall is suf- fcient to dll the reservoir twice year, and the land to be brought under cultivation is practically imitlesS. This may read like fairy tale, but iE Is every word true, and has been verified time and again.
 CASA GRAHDE RESERVOIR.
 TAe reservoir of the Casa Grande Valley Can&l company is the largest in the territory. It covers surface of 1000 acres, with an aver age depth of 12 feet, and contains about eight Ghonxand million gallons of water. It Is sit mated fifteen miles southwest of Florence. A lezee of earth has been thrown up across Q Aggression in the plain 14, 600 feet in length, l25 &eeE In width at the bottom and 25 feet in width at top, to slope on each side, and an average height of 25 feet. The waste is regu- lated by cast Iron pipes feet in diameter, sot In Solid masonry, regulated by gates and bOweE- This reservoir cost $150O00, and sup- ElIies water for 5000 acres.
 Meteorological Statistics.
 Tha alrnal sarvice r,f the zeueraI novern-