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.

Manufacturing

Scotts Bluff county has become one of the leading counties in the state for its output of manufactured or finished materials and foods.

The first manufacturing of any nature in this section of the country was at Cheyenne, in 1873, when a brick yard was started. Probably the first brick made in western Nebraska was by Bob Everett, on Willow creek, in Banner county. This was about 1888 and he hauled brick to Kimball. He also furnished the brick for the John E. Logan house in Harrisburg, which I believe is the only brick building in that town and county.

O. W. Gardner started the manufacture of brick in Scotts Bluff county. It was in 1889 that Ed. W. Sayre wanted to build a brick store. Gardner took the soil from near the corner where Stever Lowley now resides and went into the manufacture of brick. The two story Stayre store, the old Commercial hotel, and the Soder saloon building were built from the product and all are doing service after thirty years and the quality of the brick seems to have been excellent. The Soder building was moved to Scottsbluff and is now "Sweetland" and owned by Theo. Lewis.