The Florence tribune., 1899-02-25
THE CASA eRANpe VALLEY.
information for Those Seeking Homes
 In the Garden Spot of the West.


 Pinal county was organised in 1875 from portions of Pima, Maricopa and Yayapai counties, and contains an area of ], ,S68 square miles, or S,4S5, ,520 acres, one-third of which could be made productive by systematic storage Cf the surplus water now running 10 waste. Next to Maricopa it is the most lm- 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 or this road is connection with the sonora road, of the same system: The Soutnern 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- ed to Fert Thomas.
 Thus it will be seen that Pinal county is the thenter of railroad building at the pres ent time, and inside of a year Florence, the county seat, will be
 A RAILROAD CENTER.
 At present it contains a population -of nbout 1900 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 In popuiia- pp.iG., of 1858 feet above sea level, situated near the Gila river, twenty-six miles northwest ot the railroad station of Casa Grande, with when dgily stage line. Going and coming stages rnn bv fhe old Casa Grande ruins, and passengers are allowed short time to ln- spect them. There are many handsome l- prll- stores good hotel an excellent graded school employing four teachers, ehurches' secret societies, a Commercial Club, a news paper (the only one in the countyl. ana the handsoInest court house in the Territory. Here is held the United States Court Tor 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.
 Unlike the Salt river, the waters of the Sila are fresh and pure; the soil contains no 4lkah, is deep, rich gray ash, especially adapted to the growth of the prune; olive, of all kinds. which pay largely on the invest ment. 1t 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 a 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 Califor- mia, which gives fruit growers an appreciat- cd advantage in
 THE EARLY MARKETS.
 The absence of fogs and nightly dewsi is e formidable obstacle to the destructive and 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 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 ct a depth of from twenty to thirty feet; in fact, a river seems to be flowing underneath. Here is splen- did opportunity to take up and improve land 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 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 USISHABITABLE DE5ERT
 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
  scheme on the Pacific coast that has one-haif the natural advantages and so few engineer ing difficulties as the Butte reservoir. Here nature has built the abutments in eyer-liY- ing rock, and all that is left for man to do is to put in the headgete, the bluffs which form the gorge being only separated by a paltry 220 feet. A country ls drained through this narrow canyon POO miles square, representing 10000 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 liInitless. This may read like 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. It covers surface of l600 acres, with an aver age depth of F feet, and contains about eight thousand million gallons of water. It is sit uated fifteen miles southwest of Florence. A leyee of earth has been thrown up across a depression in the plain 14, 600 feet in length. 125 feet in width at the bottom and g feet in width at top. to l 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 by gates and tower. This reservoir cost S150, ,000 and sup plies water for 6.000 acres.
 Meteorological Statistics.
 The signal service of the general govern ment maintained q station at Florence from