The Florence tribune., 1899-07-22
TIE CASA aRANoE VALLEY.
information for Those Seeking Homes
 In the Garden spot Of the West.

Pinalcounty was organized in 1875 from portions of Pima, AlGricoEa and YnYapai counties, and contains on area of 5,S5s sqQare miles. or $. .4So, ,o2O acres, one-third of which could be made productive by . systematic storage If the surplus water now running 10 waste. Next to Maricopa it is the most inn 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 Vempea 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 ut the pres ent time, and inside of a 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 Q large increase In popuia- 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
 
 run by the old Casa Grande ruins, and passengers are allowed short time to 1n- spect them. There are many handsome pri- vate 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 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, which impcrt an air Of comfort on the warmest days.
 PRODUCTS OF THE VALLEY.
 Unlike the Salt river, the waters of the ,illa are fresh and pure; the soil contains no Allxali, is a 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 in this valley, and wine aad raisin culture Is destln- ed to become prominent industry. Citrus fruits have been cultivated to q limited extent; there are a 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 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 Q 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 q succession of crops that double or treble the productive value of the land.
 PRICES OF LAND.
 Improved lands with government title and .fsxhA Ie,1 $50 per acre, according to location and inn tlrovements. In the immediate neighbour hood aud 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- bic quantity is found at 0 depth Of from twenty to thirty feet; in fact, river seems to be flowing underneath. Here is Q splen- did opportunity to take up and improve Hand 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 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 USINHABITABLE 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-helf the natural advantages and so few engineer ing difficulties 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 " hich form the gorge being only separated by paltry 22D feet. country is drained through this narrow canyon 20 miles square, representing 2 40,0O0 square miles or larger than Maine and Massachusetts combined. The rainfall is saf- fieient to ill 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 a surface of 1690 acres with an aver age depth of F feet, and contains about eight thousand million gallons of water. If IS sit- mated fifteen miles southwest Of Florence. A levee of earth has been thrown up across a depression in the plain + ,ea0 feet in length. 125 feet in width at the bottom and z5 feet in width at top, 2 to 1 slope on each side, and an average height of 25 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 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 as safe guide to the prevailing temperature given during. the series of six yeas:
 1880. Mean. Max. Min. July y................+........ .e6.6 III 6l August. ust..........-..+........e .e6.5 112 60 September. .61.U 1OI 45 October r........-.....-..... 6s.o 8 S2