Illingworth Family CollectionYellow Astor Mining and Milling Facilities About 1912                                       Illingworth Family Collection

Yellow Astor Glory Hole circa 1912

Yellow Astor Glory Hole circa 1912

COLLECTION OF RUTH BULL DEMUTH

The Sunshine mine was first located in 1896, but nothing was done on the property in the way of development work for one year and a half.  There has been extensive work done on the property since that time.  The main shaft is down 110 feet.  At the 110 foot level a drift of one hundred feet has been run, and at the 50 foot level another drift of about 200 feet.

The vein varies from 2 inches to 18 inches, and the ore milled from the mine runs $100 a ton.  About $20,000 has been taken out to date, although Mr. T. W. Atkinson, one of the owners, has not worked the mine steadily on account of sickness.

The mine is owned by T. W. and B. M. Atkinson.  They expect to begin work shotly sinking the main shaft.  They are also owners of the Bully Boy, on which four shafts have been sunk, all of them down over 100 feet.  About a thousand feet of development work has been done on this property.

GEO. W. McPHERSON, THE HISTORY OF THE RAND MINING DISTRICT, MARCH 1899
B. M. Atkinson arrived  in the district in April of 1896.  His first prospecting was west of the town of Randsburg, in which section he located the Pooman’s (Poorman’s?) claim, which he still owns.  He soon after went out in the stringer district and located the Fraction and Sunshine.  In the early part of July his son, T. W. Atkinson, joined him, and they have since continued workd on the Sunshine claim.  They started a shaft, which is now down over 200 feet, and the ore has steadily increased in value with depth.  The ledge is small, averaging not less than six inches, but from thirty feet down, when well sorted, has run up into the hundreds per ton, at which depth they are drifting and taking out high-grade ore.  At the 50- and 100-foot points they did some drifting and stoping.  The mine, although worked in a very moderate way, the work having been done exclusively by themselves, has produced over $7,000, and is now one of the most famous in the Stringer district. 

Recently they started another shaft about 300 feet from No. 1 on the same ledge and are down nearly 100 feet; it is their intention to connect them when it is down about the same depth.  Owing  to the ground being lower the ore can be handled to better advantage from this shaft than from No. 1.

MINING AND SCIENTIFIC PRESS, 29 August, 1903, Pg. 132
The Sunshine mine was first located in 1896, but nothing was done in the way of development work for eighteen months.  The mine is owned by T. W.  & B. M. Atkinson, who are pushing operations.  The vein varies from 2 inches to over two feet thick.  The Atkinson brothers who own the Hatche and Bully Boy claims, in which they have given a number of leases.

MINING AND SCIENTIFIC PRESS, Oct. 17, 1903
Atkinson Bros. Have their 3-stamp mill in steady operation.

AUBREY, LEWIS E., REGISTER OF MINES AND MINERALS , KERN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, STATE MINING BUREAU, JANUARY 1904
The Fraction was an unpatented claim located in section 11, T 30, R40 near Randsburg. It was developed by two incline shafts of 30 and 70 feet with 200 feet of open cut and 100 foot of drifts.  It was owned by B. M. Atkinson of Randsburg. It was reported to have some sort of mill powered by a horse and steam.  It is possible that the 3 stamp mill for the Sunshine and this mill are one and the same.

AUBREY, LEWIS E., REGISTER OF MINES AND MINERALS , KERN COUNTY, CALIFORNIA, STATE MINING BUREAU, JANUARY 1904
Sunshine was developed by 150 foot vertical shaft, 65 foot incline shat and 700 feet of drift. There was a 3 stamp mill.  Power was provided by gasoline engine and a horse Whim.  Owners wer T. W. and B. M. Atkinson.

Randsburg Miner 1-9-04
Atkinson Bros. From the Sunshaine milled 8 tons of ore this week.

RANDSBURG MINER 1-16-04
The Sunshine had a clean up this week of 8 ½ tons of ore which went $160 per ton.  Development work is being continued vigourously. 

RANDSBURG MINER 2-6-04
The Sunshine is doing some extensive developing.  Drifting is now being done on the 100-ft. level.  This property has a record for producing rich ore and the work now being done is making it………………..

RANDSBURG MINER 2-27-04
The Sunshine completed a milling of 17 tons last Saturday.  A $3400 brick was the result of the clean-up. 

RANDSBURG MINER,  March 19, 1904
Thos. Atkinson one of the owners of the Sunshine mine left for Los Angeles.  Friday to have his eye treated.  A Flying particle of rock injured the eyeball several months ago and is has bothered him more or less ever since.

RANDSBURG MINER—APRIL 9, 1904
The Sunshine will begin milling next week.

RANDSBURG MINER—APRIL 16, 1904
Atkinson Bros.  Opertating the Sunshine mine began milling this week.  They will clean up next week.  The development work carried on in this min has opened it up to such an extent that the operators are moking preperations for extensive improvements.  They are contemplating installing compressed air drills and a steam hoist.

RANDSBURG MINER 5-14-04
The Sunshine cleaned up $4300 from 34 tons last week.  A new engine will be installed in the mill.  A gasoline hoist will be installed in the mine at an early date.

RANDSBURG MINER—6-18-1904
Notice of Non Responsibility filed by T. W. Atkinson as owner for Bully Boy, Hatchet, and Sunshine.

RANDSBURG MINER—6-?-1904
Two new fifteen horse power gasoling engines arrived this week and are being installed at the Sunshine mine.

WALLACE M. MORGAN, HISTORY OF KERN COUNTY, HISTORIC RECORD COMPANY, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 1914. PAGE 1377
On April 3, 1896, Mr. Atkinson came with a partner and two burros to Randsburg, Kern County, with the intention of going into the mining business.  They prospered for a few months in what is now the Stringer district.  In this district they first located Poor Man’s mine, which is now operation and on  June 30, 1896, located sunshine mine which they developed and which is now in a good state of production.  This mine has a stamp mill on it, and Mr. Atkinson also has a cyanide plant there.  He at present holds four claims having bought the Bully Boy and Rose mines, all now in production.

RANDSBURG MINER – RANDSBURG COMMERATION NUMBER  4-23-15
This property, which the people of this district are now watching with great interest on account of the fact that a large body of sulphide ore has been encountered, was located in 1896 by B. M. Atkinson, father of the present owner, who has worked the mine since its inception.  This property is situated about one mile from town, in what is commonly known as the Stringer district, from the rich feeders or stringers that branch from the parent vein.

Like most mines in the camp at this period the working was practically surface work, and through faulting of the geological structure the veins either petered out of were diverted.

In spite of all this the Sunshine was beginning to be recognized as one of the most promising mines in the district, but lack of capital prevented a proper development of the ore bodies.  In the meantime the Atkinsons had purchased and were working the Bully Boy, besides leasing the Merced.  The proceeds from these ventures enabled them to install hoisting machinery and compressor.  This was in 1905, and from that time work was done on a more economic, yet larger scale. 

Although about $500,000 has been taken from this property most of it has been expended on development work.  The main shaft is now down 525 feet, and while traces of sulphide ore had been noticed from the 100-foot level, the concentrates were low in value until about three months ago, when a body of rich ore was struck during developing the 400 foot.  As usual, the camp knockers sent out their usual cry that it would not last, and as usual they are wrong, for up-to-date this body of ore is not only getting richer but wider.

While the Randsburg district is practically a free milling camp and has enormous bodies of free gold, the assertion has always been made that if a shaft was sunk deep enough sulphide ores, “the ore that stays” would be encountered; but the most sanguine never expected it to be found in any quantity in so shallow a mine.  The Sunshine ore has a bright lively appearance, with good traces of telluride, the concentrate running one ton to 32 tons of ore.  The ore values now are running over $100 per ton in free gold and $900 per ton in concentrates.  Mr. T. Atkinson, the present owner, says the ore has every likelihood of staying.  This is more than likely, and the concensus of opinion is that the Mother Lode has been found.  The Sunshine is now working nine men, a three stamp mill and a concentrator.

RANDSBURG MINER 1-9-1904
Atkinson Bros., milled 8 tons of ore from the Sunshine this week.

Atkinson Bros.  Made connections with the shaft on the Sunshine on the 120 ft. level this week.

THE BAKERSFIELD CALIFORNIAN 5-1-1916
Jess Jewett used to dig spuds back in rice county, Kansas.  Perhaps he also sang, “Potatoes they grow small in Kansas.”  Last Saturday he dug is first tungsten spuds and they were not small, says the Randsburg Miner.  He found them growing wild and laying upon top of the ground in his back yard on the Sunshine claim just a few feet from his house. Jess dug out some $2,000 in a little hole three feet long, two foot wide and about a foot deep.  His wife not only helped him dig out the spuds, but she is the fortunate one who discovered the little fortune.  She got the tungsten fever watching Charilie and others on adjoining claims making rich finds and in the leisure moments between meals she would take a prospectors pick and a little pan and go prospecting.  Last Saturday she happened to dig out some dirt that panned tungsten, the first ever found on the Sunshine, which had been shown before as strictly a gold proposition.  Following up the little draw where colors were found the pannings became richer until finally she was lucky enough to uncover the rich pocket above mentioned.  Grant Illingworth who is interested with Jewett in the lease of the Sunshine heard of the find and spent a couple of hours of Easter Sunday digging tungsten from a second pocket with a little prospect pick.  He got out a sack full worth about $350 in the two hours he was there.  He got the fever so bad that he was on the point of giving his store away to a reporter on this newspaper when the confounded pocket pinched out. 

The miners employed in the Sunshine mine were called out from below and Monday found gold neglected and the entire force out in the spud patch looking for a vein of tungsten.  Air drills were brought out and the compressor started  and by the end of the shift a big shaft was down fifteen feet, showing a nice vein of high grade all the way down, only getting wider and better with depth.

MINES AND MINERALS OF KERN COUNTY CALIFORNIA, CALIFORNIA DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY COUNTY REPORT 1, PAGE 190
Location: NE. corner sec. 11, T30S, R40E, MDM. Rand District.  1 ¾ miles south-southeast of Randsburg, on the east side of a small hill on the southeast side of the Rand Mountains.  The Sunshine mine has been operated intermittently since 1896; the principal periods of mining were 1896-1915, 1931-1937, 1938-1948.  Total production probably lies within the range of $400,000  to $1,060,000.  About 90 percent of the gold was produced during the period 1896 to 1915. 

The Sunshine mine workings consist of a 600-foot vertical shaft and a total of about 3000 feet of drifts on five levels spaced at 100-foot vertical intervals.  Much of the mined material was presumably removed in open stopes.  The shaft was sunk to a depth of 500 feet sometime between 1904 and 1914.

A three stamp mill and cyanide plant were used for many years prior to 1929, but they are no longer on the property.

Collection of Deriik English 

Ore Sacked For Shipment at the

 Wege Mine 1897
,

CALIFORNIA STATE MINING BUREAU, THIRTEENTH REPORT OF THE STATE MINERALOGIST FOR THE TWO YEARS ENDING SEPTEMBER 15, 1896
Butte Wedge Mine (quartz)  -- It is the west extension of and contains about 70’ of the Butte Vein, and between it and the Kinyon mine a tunnel is being run to find the vein.  H. Kearns and J. Dillon, of Randsburg, owners.

LOS ANGELES DAILY TIMES, January 3, 1897 pg. 16
The Wedge, lying between the Butte and Kenyon, is a small mine and is, as its name indicates wedge shaped.  When the Kenyon and Butte were located it was the intention to join them together, but in making the permenant surveys it was discovered that there was a small wedge shaped piece between that these mines did not cover.  This was located by Kern, who afterward sold it to its present owners, Rogers, Pepper and Allen, for $4000.  This was thought to be a good sale as there was but forty feet along the vein.  The new owners have pushed work on it ever since, the mine proving very rich and showing a heavy body of ore.  They have erected a large shaft-house which covers the entire surface of the -----

LA TIMES 1-10-1897
W. H Shinn who has lately established a law office at Randsburgt, in speaking of the remarkable of that district said yesterday.
“The  T.K. Wedge is owned by Rogers, Allen and Dr. Pepper of Los Angeles, who paid $4,000 for it about two months ago. Since that time they have taken out nearly $25,000 in gold besides having 700 sacks of ore on the dump when I left there several days ago.That is to say that they have out 50 tons of ore running from $60 to $70 dollars a ton in gold.  Some time ago they were offered $100,000 for the property, but refused to sell.  It is rumored that a deal will be closed this week, by which they will get $300,000 for the T.K. Wedge claims.”

LA TIMES 1-14-1897
Mr. Rogers, one of the owners of the Wedge, has gone to Los Angeles with the result of a small run from that mine of from $7,000 to $10,000 in the form of gold bricks.

LOS ANGELES DAILY TIMES, MARCH 2, 1897
C. T. Pepper, and E. L. Allen of the Wedge mine, who have been here from Los Angeles for the past week, will leave for home tomorrow.  The Wedge had recently been incorporated under the mining laws of Colorado, under the name of “The Wedge Gold Mining, Milling, and Water Supply Company, with a capital stock of $500,000, divided into shares of the value of $1 each.

The officers and directors are, Dr. C. T. Pepper, president; J. W. Rogers, vice-president and superintendant; the First National Bank of Los Angeles , treasurer; E. L. Allen, secretary;  F. A. Allen, foreman of the working force and one gentleman from Colorado.  The company does not at present expect to put any of the stock on the market, but will go on developing the mine with their own rewources.  They are now working eighteen men and are down 165 feet.  From this point they expect to connect with the Butte mine, which will give both the benefit of an air shaft.  The ore at this depth is milling a little over $100 per ton and a run of ten days of the mill at Koehn Springs from fifty tons made, last week, produced three god bricks of $2000 each or $6000 from fifty tons. Twomills of ten stamps each have been running on the Wedge ore this week, one at Garlock, and the other at Koehn Springs, and with clean up tomorrow. The product of this clean will not be less than $15,000, which, with that on hand, willmake this shipment aggragate $20,000.

This is a wonderful showing, but it is absolutly correct, as the Times correspondent has seen and handled the three bricks worth $6000 referred to above.  The statement telegraphed from Denver a few days ago with appeared in The Times dispatches, that the Wedge was taking out $2500 per day, was received here with some allowance, but it was an absolute fact at the time.  The output of the mine at the time Mr. Rogers left for the East was from twenty to twenty-five tons of ore per day, all of which yielded at the mill more than $100 per ton.  Knowing this, it can easily be seen that the statement was absolutely true.  At the present time, owing to the fact that some of the men are employed on other work, the output is is from ten to fifteen tons, worth from $1000 to $1500 per day.

The statement of what the Wedge is actually doing, with the Kenyon and Butte at work on either side of it ought to satisfy the most incredulous that some of the Randsburg mines are producers.

THE LOS ANGELES DAILY TIMES, April 12, 1897
The Wedge mine is proving more and more a bonanza, for its owners.  The shaft is now being sunk deeper and the ore body is improving with depth.  At 200 feet the ore body is eight feet thick and an assay from the best of it yesterday showed $1447 per ton.  The ledge has now straightened up to nearly 80 deg. And from present appearance will be almost vertical in a little while. Rich ore is shown in the drifts and the superintendant says the outlook in the mine was never better.  Work goes on continually with three shifts of eight hours each, and from present indication the Wedge mine bids fair to demonstrate what every mining man wants to know, whether these mines go down or not.

Charles L. Green, “The California Rand,” Overland, May 1897
Listed in the Overland as one of the producing mines of the Rand District in March of 1897.  It was discovered August 5, 1896.  Production to date was $70,000 and the shaft was 165 feet deep.  The owners were listed as Jas. W. Rogers, Chas. T. Pepper, and Edward L. Allen.

THE LOS ANGELES DAILY TIMES, June 10, 1897
Again the camp is agog with excitement over new strikes.  Yesterday the Wedge mine opened up a for-and-a-half foot body of rich ore, the counterpart of the rich strike made three weeks ago in the Kenyon mine. The rock fairly glitters with gold, and much of it shows the value of $1 per ounce.  This is on the 315 foot level and every blast shows richer ore.

LOS ANGELES TIMES, JUNE 12, 1897
The Wedge, immediately adjoining (the Kenyon), is down 300 feet and is drifting toward the Kenyon, struck ore yesterday worth $300 per ton.  The specimens are all covered with gold and the showing is splendid for better ore than has yet been taken from this already famous mine.

THE LOS ANGELES DAILY TIMES, July 11, 1897
Wedged in between the Kinyon, Butte, and J. E. C. mine is a triangular bit of ground only a little over three hundred feet on each side.  In form it is almost a perfect isosceles triangle, with its base to the south. It is the smallest location in the district, but it is also the richest.  It is owned by the Wedge Mining, Milling and Water Company, of which J. W. Rogers of this place is the principal shareholder and manager.  It is capitalized at $500,000 in shares of $1 each.  For a long time this little wedge of ground belonged to nobody and simply because nobody know for along time that it was not included in the locations of the adjoining mines.  Here is the story of how it came into possession of its present owners: In the early part of last year (1896) two young men named Kerns from Bakersfield, accompanied by James Dillard of the same place arrived here.  They were out on a prospecting trip, and as they happened to know old man Kinyon of the Kinyon mine, they hunted him up and asked him if he could give them a straight tip on some good location, Kinyon who had seen a tracing of the locations of his own mine and of the Butte, and J. I. C., said to them; “There’s a little wedge right in there boys,” pointing to the spot, “which doesn’t belong to anybody yet; why not locate it?  The three boys, acted on his suggestion, located the little triangular bit of ground, and in doing so located so far as is yet shown the most valuable bit of ground in this district.  They started in to sink an incline shaft, but they had not got very far down when J. W. Rogers came along, and although, as he says himself, he did not know anything more about a min than the law allows, he concluded that with the Kinyon on one side paying big-money and the Butte on the other side-doing likewise the chances were more than even the Wedge would take a place in the front row, if it only got a chance. Having so decided, he lost no time in carrying his plan into execution, He went to Los Angeles and borrowed $4000 from two friends, skipped back here and before twenty-four hours had elapsed he had that mine safely locked up in his pants pocket.  That was November 9, 1896, and between that date and the first day of the present month, he has taken out of the Wedge, something over $80,000.  That sum, big as it is, considering that it was turned out in less than eight months is thought to but a slight indication of what will be found when they get lower down.  Their present shaft is down 325 feet, and it is worked with a whim.  When they reach 425 feet the intention is to put in a gasoline hoist of twenty-horse power, which will carry them down to 1000 feet, at which depth they expect to under-run the vein and then will begin stoping. In this way they will be able to work the mine to better advantage and at less expense.  Low-grade ore from this mine is sent to the Cuddebach mill, and the high-grade ore to the sampling works at Johannesburg.  Ever since Mr. Rogers acquired this mine last November a dividend of 2 per cent, on the capital stock of $500,000 has been declared.

LOS ANGELES DAILY TIMES, AUGUST 23, 1897
Dr. Pepper and J. C. Gladden, president and vice-president of the Wedge mine, arrived in camp last evening.  P. H. McMahon was already herr, and it is understood that he was appointed superintendent of the Wedge as predicted last week.  Mr. McMahon has came here from Idaho, but was fromerly identified with some bing mining enterprise in Colorado and is a practical miner of long experience.

LOS ANGELES DAILY TIMES, September 11, 1897
Owing to the fact that this mine was one of the very first to establish a record for itself as a great gold producer.  It is one of the best known properties in the district.  Another well remembered fact in connection with it is that it is the smallest location here, being only a triangular bit of ground with an average length on each side of about three hundred and thirty feet.  It is owned by the Wedge Mining, Milling and Water Supply Company, incorporated with a capital stock of $500,000, in shares of $1 each.  The ore is high-grade and free milling, so that the Wedge has been a good paying proposition from the start.  About $120,000 has been taken from this mine since work was started on it last November, and as yet they are only down 365 feet.  The report of the work done at this mine last month shows that there was stoped about one thousand cubic feet of ground, the balance of the work being development.  There were milled 1221 sacks of ore, but the report on these had not yet been received. There is a cross-cut ten feet each way, north and south at the 115 foot level, and scams of quartzwere met with in both of those cross-cuts.  Two streaks of ore were opened in the 315-foot level, east of the shaft; also one in the 365-foot level, east of the shaft.  Assays of the ore showed $80, $60, and $107.50 respectively.  At the lower level the ore runs largely to sulpherites, which is an excellent indication, one not heretofore encountered in this mine, nor in fact, in any other here, as none of these are as deep down as the Wedge.

This change in character of the ore at this lower depth is considered by every one here to be a good sign, that it means a whole  lof of good to Randsburg, and goes a long way to establish that it will be a permanent camp, the vein becoming more valuable as it goes down.

LOS ANGELES DAILY TIMES, December 9, 1897 pg. 8
The new engine for the Wedge hoist is on the ground, and a big tower is being erected just above the mine for the hoist. 

LOS ANGELES DAILY TIMES, December 23, 1897
The new engine and hoist at the Wedge mine is now completed and in succesful operation.  The one on the Little Butte, just west, will also be completed as soon as some necessary work of shantying the shaft shall be finished.

LOS ANGELES DAILY TIMES, December 29, 1897
The new ten-stamp mill at Johannesburg is now running on ore from the Wedge mine.  The ore is very rich, and will make a good ruturn.  This ore is now hauled from Randsburg to the mill for 75 cents per ton, when formerly the price to Garlock was $3 and $4.  The difference in hauling alone is a nice profit.

LOS ANGELES, The Saturday Times and Weekly Mirror, January 15, 1898.
The Wedge mine at Randsburg is being steadily developed by new management, with encouraging results.  There was recently a mill run, when nearly $5,000 was obtained from forty tons of ores, the assays vary from $25 per ton up into the hundreds.  On this account it is never possible to say just what the income for the coming month is likely to be, but with a few more runs like that referred to, the mine should soon be our of debt.  The company is working the mine underground and paying no attention to the stock board.

LOS ANGELES DAILY TIMES, March 4, 1898
The Wedge—Work is steadily progressing on the Wedge mine, with a force of fifteen men.  Most of the work being done is in drifting on the 150 and 250 foot levels.  A considerable amount of ore has been stoped out.  Ther are now fifty tons of ore on the dump, waiting for the mill to be repaired, which ore runs from $100 to $ 150 per ton.  This ore will be mixed with ore of lower grade.  It is expected that the mill will start up again in about a week and a $10,000 gold may be looked for be the miidle of the month.  As soon as the $3000 borrowed from the stockholders for the development of the mine shall have been repaid, the company expects to begin the payment of dividends.

LOS ANGELES DAILY TIMES, March 7, 1898
The Wedge is sacking $500 ore at the 100 foot level.  Because, for a time the mine was run at a loss a few croakers predicted that it was worked out, but from the present outlook it is safe to say ther are many good-sized gold bricks yet hidden away.

LOS ANGELES DAILY TIMES, March 22, 1898
The Wedge mine has just finished a clean-up at the Johannesburg mill of $12,000.  Some time ago the company owning it took fifty tons to the mill, and while running it the engine broke down. Then a clean-up was made of something over $2600.  While waiting for the engine to be repaired enough ore was taken out to make the entire lot of ninety tons, and this was finished yesterday with the above results.

LOS ANGELES DAILY TIMES, April, 29, 1898
The Wedge Mining Company of Randsburg is about to acquire posssesion of the J. I. C.  and Excelsior, two adjoining cliams, through which the Wedge vein dips.  This will give the company largley incresed territory to work in, which is believed to be rich in minerals.

LOS ANGELES DAILY TIMES, September, 23, 1898
According the the Randsburg Minerthe decrease made in the price of hauling and milling ore at the Barstow Reduction Works has been productive of increased business for that mill.  That paper states that the owners of the Wedge mine, Randsburg are going to make a trial shipment to Barstow, and if the result proves satisfactory they will send down 1000 tons.  Other mining men at Randsburg are also talking of sending down some of their ore to see what the Barstow mill can do with it.  The railroad people have put in a new shoot for loading ore and other improvements, sa as to make things as convenient as possible.

LOS ANGELES DAILY TIMES, September, 26, 1898
The Wedge mine has just struck a very rich vein of ore at the 350-foot level in the west drifts.  It is different from anything found here before, of a sulpheret character, but will mill $200 in free gold. 

Mr. Cook is here in the interests of the Barstow Mill, securing low-grade ore that will not pay to mill here.  The Wedge has shipped a carload, and will ship 1000 tons if the result is at all satisfactory on the first carload.  The rate fro freighting and mill ores at $5 and less is but $2.50, so there is likely to be a very great deal of such ore sent. 

LOS ANGELES DAILY TIMES, OCTOBER 27, 1898
In the Wedge mine, Randsburg, work for some time past has been mainly confined to development, but a considerable quantity of good ore has been taken out in the meantime, which will soon be milled.  The mine has, up to the present time, paid its stockholders in dividends nearly $48,000, while at the same time, under its present management, has expended over $35,000 in new machinery and other improvements.

MCPHERSON, GEO. W., THE HISTORY OF THE RAND MINING DISTRICT, MARCH 1899
Harley Kerns arrived in camp in May, 1895, less that a month after the first discovery of gold by Burcham, Singleton and Moores.  He immediately made some valuable locations, many of which he still owns, among them the Trilby Estension, and the The Standard, the latter of which is on the northern edge of the town, and near the Kinyon and Little Butte mines. There has been some very rich ore found on it very recently, and it is liable to become very valuable.  He located the Wedge mine in April, 1896, on which he had a shaft 65 feet, at which depth some very rich ore was found, some of it goins as high as $300 to the ton.  He sold it to J. W. Rodgers, and it is well known that it has since produced over $100,000.  He is also the owner of the Golden Bow mine, near the Yellow Aster Company’s mine, which is liable to prove very valuable.

RANDSBURG MINER 1-2-04
F. S. Jones and B. B. Summers will have a milling of low-grade ore from the Wedge at the Kinyon mill in the near future.

RANDSBURG MINER—6-?-1904
Shipsey Bros. & Montgomery who are operating a lease on the Wedge are working regular shifts and are getting out a good looking grade of ore.  They expect to have a milling during the coming week.

RANDSBURG MINER 8-27-04
Ed Shipsey and Jas. Montgomery who are leasing on the Wedge, this week has a milling of  7 ½ tons at Snow’s mill which brought them $1,350.  Ore which goes $180 to the tone is not to be sneezed at.