The Florence tribune., 1899-05-06
THE CASA GRANGE VALLEY.
Information for Those Seeking Homes
 In the Garden Spot of the West.

'"'otfheuoH TOT nose Ocekin9 7oWeS
 In the Garden Spot of the West
 nalcounty was organized in 1875 from portions of Pima, Mnrieopa and Navapai counties, and contains an area of {. .SSs square miles, or 5, ,4S0, ,52O acres, one-third of which could be made productive by systematic Storage Ct the surplus water now running to waste. Next to Maricopa 1t IS the ,Ir. most lrn- 1t 1t traversed from east to west by the Southern Pacific railroad, and q branch of the great Santa Fe system is now approach ing from the north. The objective point of this road is connection with the Sonora road, of the same system. The southern Pacific Is also building in this direction 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 complet- ed to Fort Thomas.
 Thus it will be seen that Pinal county is the theater of railroad building at the pres cnt time, and inside of year Florence, the county seat, will be
 RAILROAD CENTER.
 At present it contains population of about 1900, but with the completion of these two railroads and the Butte reservoir no city in Arizona can approach 1t for natural advantages. and a large increase in popula- tion will follow. Florence is ut an elevation of 1858 feet above sea level. situated near the Gila river, twenty six miles northwest or the
  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 tune to in- speet them. There are many handsome prl- yate residences in Florence, several brick stores, good hotel, an excellent graded school employing four teachers, churches, secret societies, a Commercial Club, news paper (the only one in the countyl and the handsemest 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, 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 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 alfnlfa, which grows in the most prolific manner. The grape does exceptionally well ill this ed to become a 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 earl1er 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 unsightly scale-bug, and the fruits of the valley are all bright and clean All the agri- cultural products of temperate and semi trople 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 so to $50 per acre, according to location and in- Proyements. 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 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 pumping system of irrigation, However, with the completion of the Butte reservoir, pumping will be q 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 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, i only waiting for the magic wand of capital | to develop IL. There Is no Water-SfOfage f scheme on the Pacific coast that has one half I the natural advantages and so few engineer | ing difficulties as the Butte reservoir. Here | nature has built the abutments in ever-liv- ! 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 | 220 feet. A country is drained through this narrow canyon 20O miles square representing 40,0O0 square miles. or larger than Maine and Massachusetts combined. The rainfall is suf- fcient 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 1900 acres, with aver age depth of 12 feet, and contains about eight thousand million gallons of water. It is sit uafed fifteen miles southwest of Florence. levee of earth has been thrown up across a depression in the plain II, GOO feet in length. 125 feet in width at the bottom and z5 feet in width at top, to slope on each side, and an average height of 9 feet. The waste is regu- lated by 5 cast iron pipes 3 feet in diameter, set in solid masonry, regulated by gates and