The Florence tribune., 1899-02-18
THE CASA eRANDs VALLEY.
information for Those Seeking Homes
 In the Garden Spot of the West.

Final county was organized in 1S15 from portions ot Pima, Maricopa and . davapaI counties, and contains an area of oS6e square miles. or S,4S5,520 acres, one-third of which could be made pro ctive by systematic storage Cf the surplus water now running to waste. Next to Maricopa it Is the most lm- portant agricultural county In the Territory. It 1t traversed from eRst to west by the Southern Pacific railroad, and branch or 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 1t Is confidently believed that work will not cease until the Deer Creek coal helds are reached and connection IS made with another branch of that road run ming from Bowie to Globe and now complet- ed te Fort Thomas.
 Thus 1t will be seen that Pinal county is the theater of railroad building ut the pres ant time, and inside of . year Florence, the county seat, will be
 RAILROAD cENrER.
 At present it contains Q 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 a large increase in popua- tion will follow. Florence is at an elevation of 1858 feet above sea level, situated near the Gila river, twenty -siN miles northwest ot the railroad station of Casa Grande, with which 1t is connected by an elegantly. equipped deily stage line. Going and coming stages run by the old Casa Grande ruins, and passengers are allowed short time to in spect them. There are many han some pri- vate residences in Florence, al brick stores, good hotel, an exec graded school employing four teachers, churches, secret societies, a Commercial Club, news paper (the only one in the countyl. and ne handsomest court house in the Territory. Here is held the United States Court tor the district composed of Gila. Graham and 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 Ilxali, 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 a 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 m full bearing; ne see rom rom a slx CNS TeeKs NS;se. nia which gives fruit gso Ters an appreclat- cd advantage in
 THE EARLY MARKETS.
 The absence of fogs and nightly dews is q
  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 n succession of crops that double or treble the productive value or the land.
 PRICES OF LAND.
 Improved lands, with government title and water right, can be bought fog from S2o to $50 per acre, according to sstion and im- ( flo irnfrn a.atlfea moi 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 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 aud 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 UNISHABITABLE 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 water-storage scheme on the Pacific coast that has one-hali the natural advantages and so few engineer ing difficulties as the Butte reservoir. Here nature has built the abutments in ever-liy- 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. A country is drained through this narrow canyon 200 miles square, representing 4O,OOO square miles. or larger than Maine and Massachusetts combined. The rainfall is suf- ficient to fill the reservoir twice year, and the land to be brought under cultivation is practically limitless. This may read like q fairy tale, but it is every word true, and has been verified time and again.
 CASA dRANDE RESERVOIR.
 The reservoir of the Casa Grande Valley Canal company is the largest in the territory. It covers surface of 1900 acres, with an aver nge depth of F feet, and contains about eight thousand million gallons of water. It is sit- mated fifteen miles southwest of Florence. A levee of earth has been thrown up across a depression in the plain 14, 900 feet in length l25 feet in width at the bottom and p feet in width at top, to slope on each side, and an average height of 25 feet. The waste is regu- lated by east iron pipes feet in diameter, set in solid 1nasonry, regulated by gates and tower. This reservoir cost $l5O,OOO, and sup plies water for 6,00O acres.
 Meteorological Statistics.
 The signal service of the general govern ment maintained a station at Florence from I27A fn I882 The reports covering the period