The Florence tribune., 1900-03-24
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 Maricopa and Yavapai counties, and contains an area of ], ,S6o square miles, or 8, ,4S5,520 acres, one-third of which could be made productive by Q systematic storage Of the surplus water now running to waste. Next to Maricopa it is the most lm- 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 ot this road IS 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 eompiet- 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 year Florence, the county seat, will be
 RAILROAD CENTER.
 At present it contains a 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 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 1t is connected by an elegantly. equipped 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 prl- vate residences in Florence, several brick stores, good hotel, an excellent graded school employing four teachers, churches, secret societies, Q Commercial Club, news paper tthe only one in the eountyl, 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 impart an air ot 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. especiaiy adapted to the growth of the prune, olive, nlmond, peach, fig, pear, apricot and frults 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 n this valley, and wine and raisin culture IS destln- 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- tection, and few date palm trees are also in full bearing. The season Is from six weeks to two months earlier than Southern Caliior mia, which gives fruit growers an apprec1at- ed advantage in
 THE EARLY MARKETS.
 The absence of fogs and nightly dews is 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 tropie zones are easily grown here, the long seasons giving e 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 SEQ to $50 per acre, according to location and inn provemeuts. 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 a river seems to be flowing underneath. Here Is splen- did opportunity to take up and improve land with 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
 AZ UNINHABITABLE DESERT Is In truth the most productive land on the globe, and that there is water in abundance to bring every foot of 1t under euissivatisoni s
 
 to develop it. There is no water-storage scheme on the Pacific coast that has one-haH the natural advantages and so few engineer ing difficulties as the Butte reservoir. Here nature has built the abutments in ever-liy- 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. country is drained through this narrow canyon 2O0 miles square, representing 40,000 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 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. It covers surface of 16O0 acres, with an aver age depth of F feet, and contains about eight thousand million gallons of water. It is sit- uated fifteen miles southwest of Florence. levee of earth has been thrown up across l25 feet in width at the bottom and 25 feet in width at top, 2 to slope on each side, and an average height of 9 feet. The waste is regu- lated by 8 cast iron pipes feet in diameter, set in solid masonry, regulated by gates and tower. This reservoir cost S15O,000, and sup plies water for 5000 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 a safe guide to the prevailing temperature given during the series of six yeas:
 leSO Mean. Max. Min.