The Florence tribune., 1898-11-26
THE CASA eRANDE VALLEY.
information for Those Seeking Homes
 h the Garden Spot Of the West.

Pinalcounty was organized in 1875 from portions of Pima. Maricopa and favapa counties, and contains an area of 5,s68 square miles. or g. 3i35,520 acres, one-third of which could be made productive by n systematic storage CF the surplus water now running to waste. Next to Marieopa it is the most im- portant agricultural county inthe Territory. It it traversed 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 of this road is a 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 the 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 a year Florence, the county seat. will be
 RAILROAD CENTER.
 At present it contains population -of about 1500, but with the completion of these two railroads and the Butte reservoir no city in Arizona can approach it for natural advantages, and a large increase in popula- tion will follow. Florence is at an elevation of 1858 feet absve sea level, situated near the Gila river, twenty six miles northwest or the railroad station of Casa Grande. with which 1t is connected by an elegantly. equipped d1ily stage line. Going and coming stages run by the old Casa GraRde ruins, and passengers are allowed short time to ln- spect them. There are many handsome prl- vate residences in Florence, several brick stores, good hotel, sn excellent graded school employing four teachers, churches, secret societies a Commercial Club, news paper (the only one in the countyl. and the handscmest court house in the Territory. Here Is held the United States Court for the district composed of Gila, Graham ana ana 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 .iila are fresh and pure; the soil contains no alkali, is 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 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 in full bearing. The season is from six weeks to two months earlier than Southern Calitor- mia, which gives fruit growers an appreciat- ed advantage in
 THE EARLY MARKETS.
 The absence of fogs and nightly dews is a
  unsightly scale-bug. and the fruits Of the valley are all bright and clean. All the agri- cultural products of temperate and semi tropic zones are easily grown here. the long seasons giving a 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 im- provements. In the immediate neighbor- hood aud to the south of the Casa Grande ruins there are thousands of acres covered with heavy growth ot mesquite timber yet open to settlement. These are among the choicest in the valley. Water in inexhausti- ble quantity is found at depth of from twenty to thirty feet; in fact, river seems 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 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 USIsHABITABLK 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 no wateF-storage scheme on the Pacific coast that has one-half
  ing difficulties as the Butte reservoir. Here nature has built the abutments in eYer-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 paltry 20 feet country is drained through this narrow canyon 200 miles square, representing 40.000 square miles. or larger than Maine and Massachusetts combined. The rainfall is suf- hcient to fill the reservoir twice a year, and the land to be brought under cultivation is l practically hmitless. This may read like a | 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. | H. covers a surface of 1600 acres, with an aver | age depth of 12 feet, and contains about eight | thousand million gallons of water. It is sit 1 mated fifteen miles southwest of Florence. | A levee of earth has been thrown up across | Q depression in the plain il, 900 feet in length. 1z5 feet In width at the bottom and g feet in | width at top. to slope on each side, and an average height of g feet. The waste is regu- lated by east iron pipes feet in diameter, set in solid masonry, regulated by gates and | tower. This reservoir cost $150000, and sup plies water for 5000 acres.
 Meteorological Statistics.
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