The Florence tribune., 1899-12-02
THE CASA GRANDE VALLEY.
Information for Those Seeking Hones
 In the Garden Spot of the West


 Pinal county was organized in 1875 from portions of Pima, Maricopa and YavaEai counties, and contains an area of 2, ,S66 square miles, or 3, 9,i35 520 acres, one-third of which could be made productive by a systematic waste. Next to Maricopa it Is the most im- portant agricultural county in the Territory. It it traversed from east to west by the Southern Pacific railroad, and a 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. ct the same system: The Southern Pacific is also building in this direction from Tempe, and 1t 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 cOnapiet- ed to Fort Thomas.
 Thus 1t will be seen tha4 Pinal county is the theater of railroad building at the pres snt time. and inside of year Florence, the county seat, will be
 ARATLH0AD cEHTER.
 At present 1t contains a population of about 1900 but with the completion of these two railroads and the Butte reservoir no city in Arizona can approach it for natural advantages and q large increase in popula- tion will follow. Florence Is at an elevation of 1858 feet above sea level, situated near the Glla river, twenty y-six miles northwest of the railroad station of Casa Grande, with which it is connected by an elegantly equipped deily stage line. Going and coming stages run by the old Casa GrAnde ruins, and passengers are allowed a short time to in- spect them. There are many handsome pri- vate residences in Florence, several brick stores, good hotel, sD excellent graded school employing four teachers, churches, secret societies, a Conamercial Club, a news paper tthe only one in 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. i Unlike the Salt river, the waters of the .iIIa are fresh and pure; the soil contains no AllLali, Is a deep, rich gray ash, especially adnssted 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. valley. and wine and raisin culture is destin- ! ed to become prominent industry. Citrus fruits have been cultivated to limited f extent; there are a number of orange trees in the neighborhood of Florence which bear .t their golden fruit each year without pro- | tection and few date palm trees are also in full bearing. The season Is from six weeks < to two months earlIer than Southern Califor- i cd advantage in
 THE EARLY MARKETS.
 The absence of fogs and nightly dews is a | formidable obstacle to the destructive and slnsigkfly seale-bug. and the fruits of the valley are ail bright and clean All the agri- 1 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 vaiRe of the iand.
 PIECES or LAND.
 Improved lands, with government title and water right, can be bought for from $20 to $50 per acre, according to location and im- proveeaetzts. In the immediate neighbor- hood and to the south of the Casa Grande ruins there are thousands of acres covered with a heavy growth of 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 to be flowing underneath. Here is spien- did opportunity to take up and improve l 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 Q thing of the past, and it Is only mentioned here for the purpose of showing what can be done, and to 1 magnify the further fact that what was once considered