The gold was found to be only float gold and could not be collected with the ordinary cradle. It was of such small consequence the excitement soon passed.

Recently Wallace Beatty found in the sand excavated on his sand lot between Scottsbluff city and the river a small nugget of gold and a few other particles, but they failed to appear in sufficient frequency to create much, enthusiasm. Small particles of gold that have come down from the mountains are found as far east as Broadwater.

An Ancient Waterfall From a geological standpoint the editor-inchief would believe that very little gold will ever be found east of the mouth of horse creek in western Scotts Bluff county. The rock bottom ford at the upper PF ranch and the upper rim of the "state line anticline" would serve as lodging places for any gold that might be washed down the river, and should any pass those natural riffles in the rocks, if would sink to unknown depths in the sand that is known to be hundreds of feet deep.

Probably at an earlier time the state line anticline was a natural dam in the river and the country above Henry and up to Torrington may have been submerged. The water pouring over this dam gouged out a great hole under the waterfall. This in the change of years has filled up with white sand now impervious to water. So that the gold that may have come down the Platte, probably never came beyond this point, and here it is buried a thousand feet down. A few fragments have possibly come on in excessive freshets and these are being found. Float gold is so light that water will carry it on, at least some of the lighter particles, into the far sea.