The Florence tribune., 1899-04-15
THE CASA eRANoe VALLEY.
information for Those Seeking Homes In the Garden Spot of the West.


 In the Garden Spot of the West.
 Pinal county was organized in 1875 from portions of Pima, Maricopa and 1avapai counties, and contains an area of }, ,S66 square miles. or S,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 inn portant agricultural county in the Territory. It 1t trayersed 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: 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 run 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 year Florence, the county seat will be
 RAILROAD CENTER.
 At present it contains a population Of about l500, but with the completion of these two railroads and the Butte reservoir no city in Arizona can approach it for natural advantages, and large increase Tn popttia- tion will follow. Florence is at an elevation of 1858 feet above sea level. situated near the Gila river, twenty-six miles northwest ot the railroad station of Casa Grande, with which it is connected by an elegantly equipped duly stage line. Going and coming stages run by the old Casa Grande 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, an excellent graded school employing four teachers, ehurches, secret societies, Q Commercial Club, news paper (the 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 W hich 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 Ill this valley and wine and raisin culture Is dest1n- 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- tection and few date palm trees are also in full bearing. The season is from SIX weeks to two months earller than Southern Caiitor- mia, which gives fruit growers an appreciat- ed advantage in
 THE EARLY MARKETS.
 The absence of fogs and nightly dews Is a formidable obstacle to the destructive and ursigltly scale-bug, and the fruits of the valley are all bright and clean. All the agri- erltufal products of temperate and semi tfopir zosles are easily grown here, the long sefiles giving a. succession Of crops that 1tle or treble the productive value Of the
 PIECES OF LAND.
 nunrseed lands, with government title and staltf right can be bought for from SEQ to Ss1 per acre according to location and im- ls fefnefIts In the Immediate neighbor- fa1as there are thousands of acres covered with a heavy growth of mesquite timber yet ofn to settlement. These are among the cNoican4 in the valley. Water in inexhausti- f.1f1is to thirty feet; in fact, river seems l.1 sie Rowing underneath. Here is splen- stlf opportunity to take up and improve faild with a 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 purpose of showing what can be done, and to magnify the further fact that what was once seonsidered
 AN USINHABITABLE DESERT
 ia ln truth the most productive land on the W|nIE- b bring every foot of it under cultivation, oniy waiting for the magic wand of capital to develop it. There is no water-storase scheme on the Pacific coast that has One-h half tho natural advantages and so few engineer ing difficulties as the Butte reservoir. Here nature has built the abutments in ever-liy ina rock and all that is left for man to do is to put in she headgate. the bluffs which form the gorge heinz only separated by a paltry 2z9 feet. country is drained through this narrow canycsn 2OO miles square, representing MafOa Massachusetts combined. The rainfall is sut- h.ienf to hli the reservoir twice year, and the laud to De Brought under cultivation Is practically fsInitless. This may read like fairy taie, put 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. It covers surface of 1890 acres, with an aver age depth of F feet, and contains about eight thousand million gallons of water. 1t is sit- uated fifteen miles southwest of Florence. A levee of earth has been thrown up across a depression in the plain II, 900 feet in length. 125 feet in width at the bottom and p feet in width at top, ? to slope on each side, and an average height of 9 feet. The waste is regu- lated by 3 cast iron pipes feet in diameter; set in solid masonry, regulated by gates and tower. This reservoir cost $150,000. and sup plies water for 5000 acres.
 Meteorological Statistics.
 The sional service of the general govern ment maintained station at Florence from 1874 to 1882. The reports covering the period from July, 1880, to April. 1882, gives the follow Ing statistics, which may be taken safe guide to the prevailing temperature given during the series of six yeas:
 1880. Mean Max. Min. July y................-S6. S6.6 Hi 61 August. -66.5 LIZ 60 September. sl0 1Ul 45 October ........-........s.. 68.0 93 32