The Florence tribune., 1898-12-31
TIE CASA CYANIDE VALLEY.
information fer Those Seeking Homss
 In the Garden Spot Of the West.

Pinal bounty was organized in 1875 from portions of Pima, Maricopa and 1avapai counties, and contains an area Of 5,388 square miles, or 5, ,520 acres, one-third of which could be made productive by a systematic storage cf the surplus water now running to waste. Next to Marieopa it is the most i'm portant agricultural county in the fesritory. It 1t tFaVersed from east to west by, the Southern Pacific railroad and branch of the great Santa Fe system Is now approach- 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 alse building in this direction from Tempe, and it is confidently believed that work will not cease until tue Deer Creek coal fields are reached and connection IS made with another branch ot that road run ming frsm Bowie to Glebe and HOW complet- 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
 ARAILRoAD CENTER.
 At present 1t contains a population 7of about l500, but 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 1853 feet aeove sea level, situated near the Gila river, tweRty-six miles northwest of the railroad station of Casa Grandc, with when 1t is connected by nn elegantly equipped duly stage line. Going and coming stages run by the old Casa GraRde ruins, aud passengers are allowed Q short time to ln- spect them. There are many handsome pri- yate residences in Florence. several brick stores, good hotel, an excellent graded school employing four teachers, churches, secret societies. a Commercial CluD, a news paper (the only one i'll the countyl, and the handsomest court house in the Territory. Here is held the United States Court For the district composed of Gila. Graham and Pinal counties. The streets are lined with shade trees which impart 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 tlkali, 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 a limited extent; there are number of orange trees in the Heighborhood of Florence which bear their golden fruit each year without pro teetion, and few date palm trees are also In full bearing. The season is from six weeks to two months earlIer than Southern Califor- mia, which gives fruit growers an appreciat- ed advantage in
 THE EARLY MARKETS.
 Tho absence of fogs and nightly dews Is formidable obstacle to the destructive and unsightly scale-bug, and the fruits of the valley are all bright and clean. Ali the agri- cultural products of temperate and semi tfopic zones are easily grown here. the long seasons giving succession Of crops 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 S20 to $50 per acre, according to location and in- provemeRts. 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 Water in inexhausfi- 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 and improve land with pumping system of irrigation, which Is said to be successful on small tracts. However, with the completion of the Butte reservoir, pumping will be 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 USINHABITABLR 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 to develop it. There is 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 abJitments in ever-liv- 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 paitry 220 feet. A country is drained through this narrow canyon POO miles square, representing 4G GO square miles or larger than Maine and Iassachusetts combined. The rainfall is suf- fcient to fill the reservoir twice year, and the land to be brought under cultivation is practically limftless. This may read like fairy tale, but it is every word true, and has been verified time and again.
 CASA CYANIDE RK6RRYoIR.
 The reservoir of the Casa Grande Valley Canal company is the largest in the territory. It covers a surface of I6{}0 acres with an aver age depth of 12 feet, and contains about eight thousand million gallons of water. It is sit- uated fifteen miles southwest of Florence 4 leyee of earth has been thrown up across a depression in the plain 14 OO0 feet in length. 125 feet in width at the bottom and 25 feet in 1 width at top, to slope on each side, and an average height of 9 feet. The waste is regu- lated by east iron pipes feet in diameter, set in solid masonry, regulated by gates and l tower. This reservoir cost Sl50,000, and sup plies water for 6.000 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 | from JuIy. 1880, to April, 1892 gives the follow ing statistics. which may be taken as a safe |