The Florence tribune., 1899-07-01
THE CASA eRANDE VALLEY.
Information for Those Seeking Homes
 In the Garden Spot of the West.

Pinal county wns organized in 1875 from portions of Pima, Mnricopa and Yavapal counties and contains an urea of ,, S6S square miles, or 3, ,4S5, ,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 the 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, ef the same system: The Southern Racifsc Is also building in this dlrectlon rom rom work will not cease until the Deer Creek coal fields are reached and connection Is made with another branch of that road run ming from Bowie to Globe and now compiet- ed to Fort Thomas.
 the theater of railroad building at the pres ent time, and inside of year Florence, tne county seat, will be
 A RAILROAD CENTER.
 At present it contains O population of about I500, 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 Tn popuih- tion will follow, Florence Is at an elevation of 1858 feet above sea level, situated near the Gila river twenty-six miles northwest or the railroad station of Casa Grande, with which it is connected by an elegantly, equipped
  run by the old Casa Grande rulns, ana passengers are allowed short time to ln- spact them. There are many handsome pri- vate residences in Florence, several brick stores, good hotel, an excellent graueo .school employing four teachers, churches, secret societies, a Commercial Club, news paper (the only one in the county, ana the handsomest court house in the Territory. Here is held the United States Court for the district composed of Gila, Graham nnd Pinal counties. The streets are lined with shade trees, which impart an air or comfort on the warmest days.
 PRODUCTS OF THE VALLEY.
 Oalike the Salt river, the waters of the .3Ila are fresh and pure the soil contains no AllKali, is a deep, rich gray ash, especially adapted to the growth of the prune, olive, almond, peach, fig. pear, apricot and fruits ot all kinds which pay largely on the invest ment. It is also the natural home of alfalfa, NkEeh grows in the most prolific manner. The grape does exceptionally well in this valley, and wine and raisin culture IS destin- 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 in full bearing. The season is from six weeks to two months earher than Southern Califor- mia, which gives fruit growers an appreciat- ed advantage in
 THE EARLY MARKETS.
 Tke absence of fogs and nightly dews is a formidable obstacle to the destructive and unsightfy scale-bug. and the fruits of the valley are all bright and clean. All the agri- fropic 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 SzO to $50 per acre, according to location and i'm S,rovements. 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 inexhaustl- ble quantity is found at Q depth of from twenty to thirty feet; in fact, a river seems 10 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 a 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 UNINHABITABLE 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,
 
 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 abutmeEts 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 22O feet. country is drained through this narrow canyon 200 miles square, representing 10000 square miles, or larger than Maine and Massachusetts combined: The rainfall is sui; ficient to fill the reservoir twice year, and the land to be brought under cultivation is practically limitless. 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 Hcovers a surface of 16ee acres, with an aYer- age depth of F feet. and contains about eight thousand million gallons of water. It is sit- unted fifteen miles southwest of Florence. A levee of earth has been thrown up across a depression ill the plain 1000 feet in length, I25 feet in width at the bottom and 25 feet in width at top, 2 to slope on each side, and an average height of 9 feet. The waste is regu- lated by cast iron pipes feet in diameter, set in solid masonry, regulated 6g gates and tower. This reservoir cost $l5e,0V0, and sup plies water for 5000 acres.
 Meteorological Statistics.
 The signal service of the general govern ment maintained a station at Florence from 1874 to 1882. Tho reports covering the period from July, 1880 to April, 18e2, gives the follow Ing statistics, which may be taken as safe guide to the prevailing temperature given during 1sso sse series 0i ''A Sas Mean. Max. Min. August. ust......................s .s6.5 112 50