The Florence tribune., 1899-01-21
TIE CASA eRANpE VALLEY.
information for Those Seeking Homes In the Garden Spot of the West.

In the Garden Spot of the West.
 Final county was organized in 1875 from portions Of Pima, Maricopa and Yayapni counties, and contains an area of {, ,S68 square miles. or 3,4S5, ,520 acres, one-third of which could be made productive by systematic ssorage Si the surplus water now running to waste Next to Maricopa it is the most im- Portant agricultural county in the Territory. 1t 1t traversed from east to west by the southern Pacific railroad, and a branch of sne great Santa Fe system is now approach Ing from the north. The objective point of this road is connection with the Sonora road 9f the same system. The Southern Eacihc 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 ed to Fort Thomas
 Thus it will be seen that Pinal county is Che theater of railroad building at the pres county seat, will be
 RAILROAD CENTER.
 about 1900, but with the completion of these tive railroads and the Butte reservoir no city in Arizona can approach it for natural advantages, and a large increase in popula- tien will follows Florence Is at an elevation of 1858 feet above sea level, situated near the Gila river, twenty y-six miles northwest of the railroad station of Casa Grande, with which daily stage line. Going and coming stages run by the old Casa Grande ruins, and passengers are allowed a short time to in 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, 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 eff 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 Iila are fresh and pure; the soil contains no ilkali, 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 ment It is also the natural home of alfalfa, which grows in the most prolific manner. Ihe grape does exceptionally well in this ed to become a prominent industry. Citrus fruits have been cultivated to a 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 twomonths earler than Southern Califor- mia, which gives fruit growers an appreciat- ed advantage in
 THE EARLY MARKETS.
 The absence of fogs and nightly dews is 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 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 im- hood and to the south s of of the he Casa a Grande ruins there are thousands of acres covered with heavy growth of mesquite timber yet 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 a splen- did opportunity to take up and improve land with pumping system of irrigation. " hich 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 UNINHABITABLR DEsERr 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-Iiv- 1 ing rock, and all that is left for man to do is i to put in the headgate, the bluffs which form | the gorge being only separated by a palfry | 20 feet. A country is drained through this | narrow canyon POO miles square, representing | l0,OOO square miles, or larger than Maine and | Aassach chusetts combined. The rainfall is suf- | acient to i'll the reservoir twice year, and f she land to be brought under cultivation is | practically imitless. This may read like | latry 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. t covers 0 surface of 1900 acres, with an aver .ge depth of 12 feet, and contains about eight | thousand million gallons of water. It is sit lated fifteen miles southwest of Florence. levee of earth has been thrown up across 9 feet in width at the bottom and 25 feet in width at top, to l slope on each side, and an Iverage height of 9 feet. The waste is regu- ated by cast iron pipes feet in diameter, at in solid masonry, regulated by gates and over. This reservoir cost S150,o00 and sup ,lies water for 6.000 acres.
 Meteorological Statistics.
 The signal service of the general govern 1ent maintained station at Florence from