The Florence tribune., 1899-06-24
THE CASA eRANbE VALLEY.
snformation for Those Seeking Homes
 In the Garden Spot of the West.


 Pinal county was organized in 1875 from portions of Pima, Maricopa md favepal counties, and contains an area of s.Soe square miles. or 2, ,4S5 520 acres, one-ti.ird ot which could be made productive by systematic storage Cf the surplus water now running to waste. Next to Maricopa it is the most iln- pOrtant agricultural county in the Territory. It 1t traversed from east to west by the Southern Pacific railroad. and branch of .She 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- ed to Fort Thomas.
 Thus it will be seen that Pinal county IS the theater of railroad building at the pres sent time, and inside of year Florence, the county sent will be
 RAILROAD CENTER.
 At present 1t contains population Of about 1900, but with the completion Of these two railroads and the Butte reservoir no city In Arizona can approach II TOT naturai advantages, and a large increase Tn popula- tion will follow. Florence Is at an elevation of 1858 feet above sea level, situated near the !Gila riysr, twenty-six miles northwest ot the railroad station of Casa Grande, with winch 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 10 ln- .speet them. There are many handsome pfl- ;vate residences ill Florence, several Drlck Stores, good hotel, an excellent gfaneo school employing four teachers churches, secret societies, q Commercial Club, news paper lthe only one in the countyl, and the handsomest court house ill the Territory. Here Is held the United States Court Tor the district composed of Gila, Graham ana 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 lSila are fresh and pure; the soil contains no ilkaH. IS deep, rich gray ash, especially adapted to the growth of the prune, olive, almond. peach, fig, pear, apricot aud fruits of all kinds, which pay largely on the invest ment. It is also the natural home of alfalfa, 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 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- ed advantage in
 THE EARLY MARKETS
 The absence of fogs and nightly dews is a formidable obstacle to the destructive and unsiehtly scale-bug. and the fruits of the valley are all bright and elean- All the agri- tropic zones are easily grown here, the long .seasons giving a succession of crops that sdoussle eT treble the productive value of the aand.
 PRICES OF LAND.
 Improved lands. with government title and water right, can be bought for from SD to $50 per acre. according to location and i'm 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 at a depth of from swenty to thirty feet; in fact, river seems to be flowing underneath. Here is a splen- did opportunity to take up and improve 1and with q pumping system of irrigation, which is said to be successful 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 UHINHABITABLE 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 1t. There is no water-storasse scheme on the Pacific coast that has one-half <the natural advantages and so few engineer : ing difficulties as the Butte reservoir. Here :, nature has built the abutments in eyer-liv- ing rock, and all that is left for man to do IS to put in the headgate, the bluffs " hich form the gorge being only separated by paitry 20 feet. A country is drained through this narrow canyon 2OO miles square representing 40O00 square miles, or larger than Maine and Massachusetts combined. The rainfall is suf- hcient to fill the reservoir twice year, and the land to be brought under cultivation is practically Hmitless- 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. Itcovers a surface of 16g0 acres, with an aver age depth of 12 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 depression in the plain IA, ,000 feet in length. 125 feet in width at the bottom and 9 feet in width at top, 2 to slope on each side, and an average height of 5 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 6.00O acres.
 Meteorological Statistics.
 The signal service of the general govern ment maintained station at Florence from 1874 to 16a2 The reports covering the period from July. 1890 to April, 1882, gives the follow ing statistics, which may be taken as safe