The Florence tribune., 1899-05-27
THE CASA eRANDe VALLEY.
information for Those Seeking Homes In the Garden Spot Of the West.

Pinal county was organized in 1875 from portions of Pima, Marieopa and Yavapai counties, and contains an area of 5.S6S Ssquare miles. or 3, 5,520 acres, one-third Of which could be made productive by systematic storage { { the surplus water now running to waste Next to Maricopa it is the most ini- 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, 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 rum 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 ent time, and inside of a year Florence, the county seat, vii! be
 RAILROAD cESrRR.
 At present it contains population of about l5G0, but with the completion of these city in Arizona can approach 1t for natural advantages and large increase in popula- 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 ruins, and passengers are allowed short time to ln- spect them. There are many handsome, pri- vate residences in Florence, several prick stores good hotel, an excellent graded school employing four teachers, churches, secret societies, a Commercial Ciup, news paper tthe 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 Gilo. Graham and Pinal counties. The streets are lined with N 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 Lllzali, 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 inent. It is also the natural home of alfalfa, which grows in the most prolific manner. valley, and wine and reisin culture is destin- ed to become prominent industry. Citrus fruits have been cultivated to limited 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 week. nia, which gives fruit growers an appreciat- cd advantage in
 THE EARLY MARKETS.
 The absence of fogs and nightly dews is a formidable obstacle to the destructive and unsightly seale-bug, and the fruits of the valley are all bright and clean. All the agri- cultural products of temperate and semi seasons giving O 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 so to SSo per acre aec4Eding to l9eation hbor- and n- 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 twenty to thirty feet; in fact river seems to be flowing underneath. Here is splen- did opportunity to take up and improve land with Q 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, only waiting for the magic wand of capital to develop it. There is no water-storage 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 ever-iy- 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,000 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 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 a surface of 1600 acres, with an aver age depth of F feet, and contains about eight thousand million gallons of water. It IS sit- mated fifteen miles southwest Of Florence. A lsvee of earth has been thrown up across a depression in the plain 14. 900 feet in length, 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 by gates and tower. This reservoir cost $lou,OU0, and sup plies water for 6.0O0 acres.
 Meteorological Statistics.
 The signal service of the general govern nent maintained a station at Florence from 1874 to 1892. The reports covering the period from July 1SSO to April, 1882, gives the follow Ing statistics, which may be taken as a safe