The Wedge mine is located on what was known as Gold Hill directly behind the Kinyon Mine. Mineral Survey No. 3473, Independence Land District, Located August 3, 1896, recorded August 5, 1896, known as Butte Wedge Quartz Mine, Surveyed July 1897, owner J. D. Browne, improvements of discovery shaft, ore house, whims, drifts, and office. 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. -- California State Mining Bureau, Thirteenth Report of the State Mineralogist . January 3, 1897: “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 permanent 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 ----- “. -- Los Angeles Daily Times January 10, 1897: “W. H SHINN who has lately established a law office at Randsburg, 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.” -- Los Angeles Times January 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 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 superintendent; 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 resources. 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 airshaft. 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. Two mills 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, will make this shipment aggregate $20,000. This is a wonderful showing, but it is absolutely 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 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.” -- 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 degrees. And from present appearance will be almost vertical in a little while. Rich ore is shown in the drifts and the superintendent 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.” -- Los Angeles Daily Times May 1897: THE CALIFORNIA RAND. 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.” -- Overland Magazine 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 Daily 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.” -- Los Angeles 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 2, 1897: “The Wedge Gold Mining Company is having a quantity of ore milled at the mills at Garlock and Cuddeback Lake. They are sending regular shipments of bullion to San Francisco. .” – The Herald 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 here, 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 formerly identified with some big mining enterprise in Colorado and is a practical miner of long experience.” -- Los Angeles Daily Times August 25, 1897: “J. C. Gladden, the newly-elected vice president of the Wedge Mining Company, was in Randsburg last week. Accompanying him was Percy H. McMahon of Arizona, who has been installed as superintendent of the mine. A report that a rich body of ore had been found in the mine is current on the streets. ” – The Herald August 30, 1897: “C. D. Howry has returned from Randsburg where he went to look at some mining property which he is interested in. While there he made a careful examination of the Wedge. Mr. Howry says the work is going right on in the Wedge and that the company has sacked and shipped over 800 sacks of ore during ten days in the past week, all of which was taken from the 160 foot level, pending the work on the new machinery that is being put into the Wedge. This ore is as rich as ever and the clean-up will make possible the usual Wedge dividend, which all indications show will be declared as usual.” – The Herald 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 crosscut ten feet each way, north and south at the 115-foot level, and scams of quartz were met with in both of those crosscuts. 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 lot 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 September 20, 1897: “ It ls reported that the Wedge Mining company has recently taken out $10,5000 from their Wedge mine at Randsburg, and that the ore ran over $150 per ton.” – The Herald October 31, 1897: “THE WEDGE MINE Is popularly known as a triangular piece of ground but in reality is a four sided claim with the end lines parallel and situated in the heart of the high grade ore district of Randsburg. The vein is of an average dip of 50 degrees to the northeast with the strike running about 20 degrees west of north. The development work consists of a shaft 415 feet deep and levels at 115 feet, 165 feet, 215 feet and 215 feet distant from the mouth of the shaft. Work now is being done on the 2ls foot level where a distance has been run on the west of 75 feet and on the east of 40 feet. The intention is to continue this level and others below it till the end lines are reached. Practically all the ore milled up to date has come from above the 105-foot level, no stoping of any kind having been done below that level. The 315-foot level has been driven only about 25 feet east and west of the shaft and some high-grade ore was encountered In this level, also at a point 50 feet below this level and at distance 806 feet down the shaft. At the bottom the vein is well defined, although narrow. While the production of the mine so far has been nearly $10,000 not one-tenth of the vein has been stoped. An interesting geological occurrence, i. e., the splitting of the main ledge on this hill has taken place on the Wedge claim, one section of the vein now being developed on the Butte claim of their shaft and the other section going south of the Butte shaft, the apex of which has been traced a long distance to the Philadelphia and Hector claims 2000 feet to the southeast. The northern section of the vein having been and being developed in the King Solomon mine, one-half of a mile to the ease.” – The Herald November 08, 1897: “The market on the exchange the past week has been quite active. Pacific Consolidated, with heavy sales, has held its own remarkably well. An advance in this stock is looked for within the next few days, the reports coming in from the mine being excellent. Wedge closed strong last week at 3 cents bid. This stock is selling at less than its value. It is confidently expected that the stock will sell for 5 cents within the next two weeks. Magganetta continues to hold strong at about 3 cents.” –The Herald November 11, 1897: “The Wedge managers have commenced on their recent improvements, says the Los Angeles Mining News. They are now sinking a new shaft and hoisting machinery has been ordered. The company expects to have it on the property in running order within a week. A new body of high-grade ore has been struck in the 115-foot level and the prospects for the future of the mine are very bright.” – The Herald December 9, 1897: “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 successful 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 return. 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 Daily Times January3, 1898: “The Johannesburg reduction works cleaned up this week after a 42-ton mill run on Wedge rock. Ten tons of low grade ore went $25 per ton and the plate assay of the remaining thirty-two tons was $264 per ton.” – San Francisco Call January 10, 1898: “The Wedge Mine - The Wedge mine is again in shape to do business, and they are taking out good ore that runs about $150 per ton right along, says the Randsburg Miner. They have just had a mill run on ore that gave much better results, there being forty-two tons which produced between $5000 and $6000. Part of this lot was what is called low grade, running only about $25 per ton, and thus cut down the average of the selected ore. The, ore was milled by the Johannesburg Reduction works, and the run was highly satisfactory. Ore is being sacked at present on the 115 foot and 105 foot levels, where it is left until ready to take to mill. A new ore house is to be constructed at once, and when this is completed the ore will be hoisted as fast as mined.” – The Herald January 15, 1898: “ THE WEDGE MINE at Randsburg is being steadily developed by new management, with encouraging results. There was recently a millrun, 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 Saturday Times and Weekly Mirror February 20, 1898: “THE WEDGE MINE is doing considerable development work and the mine never looked better. This company has made application for a patent.” --San Francisco Call 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. Three 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 middle 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 three 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 possession of the J. I. C. and Excelsior, two adjoining claims, through which the Wedge vein dips. This will give the company a largely increased territory to work in, which is believed to be rich in minerals.” -- Los Angeles Daily Times April 30, 1898: “REPORT FROM THE WEDGE - A report was received this week from Superintendent McMahon of the Wedge mine, Randsburg, at the home office, Los Angeles. Superintendent McMahon reports that in running a cross-cut at the 230-foot level they discovered another rich pay chute, from twelve to fifteen inches in width, and which he estimates will average not less than $240 per ton. He also reports that he expects to make another mill run of sixty tons of ore about May 1st next. What the Wedge has done and what it is again doing under its present efficient management marks it as one of the most wonderful mines in the Rand district. And yet it less safe to say that what has been done in the Wedge could be done in numerous other properties in that district under equally efficient management.—Los Angeles Review.” –The Herald May 09, 1898: “The stamps at the Johannesburg reduction works are dropping now on Wedge and Burcham No. 1 ore. As soon, as this run is completed they will handle ore from the Pinmore and Golden Sheaf mines.”-- The Herald June 11, 1898: “THE WEDGE MINING COMPANY of Randsburg has declared a monthly dividend of half a cent per share for May, which is said to be at the rate of $30,000 per year in dividends. The mine is reported to have produced over $25,000 in five months. A permanent reserve fund of $5000 has been put in the treasury, and many modern improvements made on the property.” –Corona Courier July 23, 1898: “LOS ANGELES REVIEW SAYS: The Wedge mine at Randsburg is putting through a run of forty tons of ore, half of which is being milled at the Eureka mill and half at the Johannesburg Sampling Works. Enough is already known to be able to state that this run of ore will yield even larger results than the last one, and that the clean-up will show an average value of from $120 to $140 per ton.” –Corona Courier September 23, 1898: “TO THE RANDSBURG MINER the 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, so 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 for 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 03, 1898: “The Wedge - The Wedge people are still sinking and have reached a depth of over 400 feet. Last week some $800 free milling ore was encountered, and to all appearances there is quite a body of lt. The ore is a grayish, close-grained quarts and shows evidences of water formation, so it will not be surprising if a water level is reached before long. ” – The Herald October 9, 1898: “The Wedge mine has just struck an astonishingly rich vein of ore at a depth of 350 feet in the west drift. It is peculiar looking, nothing like it ever having been found in the camp. It is stratified and ribbony in appearance and is sulphurets ore. It will mill $2OO per ton.” – San Francisco Call 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.” -- Los Angeles Daily Times November 12, 1898: “THE LAST ISSUE OF THE RANDSBURG MINER received says the Wedge mine at Randsburg, Cal. is working on some exceptionally rich ore at the 350-foot level. They are working in a drift to the east about sixty-five feet from the shaft. They have a vein of about one foot of this ore which fairly sparkles with gold as it is taken out, and which will compare with anything ever taken out from that well-known mine.” –Corona Courier January 7, 1899: “REPORTS FROM RANDSBURG are that the Wedge cleaned up $2200 from seventy tons of its low-grade ore, an average of over $30 per ton. The richest of the ore was picked out, and will be milled separately. It is expected that this latter will not go below an average of $100 a ton.” –Corona Courier March 1899: “Harley Kerns arrived in camp in May, 1895, less that a month after the first discovery of gold by Burcham, Singleton and Mooers. He immediately made some valuable locations, many of which he still owns, among them the Trilby Extension, and 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 going 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.” -- McPherson December 9, 1899: “THE WEDGE MINE is making a milling of thirty-five tons of ore, which it is expected will average$75 per ton.” –Corona Courier January 2, 1904: “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 June 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 August 27, 1904: “Ed Shipsey and Jas. Montgomery who are leasing on the Wedge, this week had a milling of 7 ½ tons at Snow’s mill which brought them $1,350. Ore which goes $180 to the ton is not to be sneezed at. – Randsburg Miner November 11, 1906: “Work on the Wedge property at Rand Hill is performed by leasers. The greatest depth of the workings is 800 feet.” -- San Francisco Call June 13, 1911: “THE WEDGE—This rich property adjoining the Butte and Kenyon is owned by the Consolidated Mining Company. It has been a fine producer in the past and has been well worked down to the 300 foot level.”—Bakersfield Morning Echo Photo 1--The Wedge Mine Overlooking Randsburg, With Sacked Ore Ready to be Sent to The Mill. - Deric English Collection Photo 2--Wedge Mining Milling and Water Supply Co. Collection of the Rand Desert Museum Photo 3--The Wedge Mine Was One Of The Richest Mines On Gold Hill. It Was Mined Extensively From 1897 thru 1899, However Because of the Small Size Of the Claim the Gold Ran Out Eventually. This Drawing From the October 31, 1897 Edition of the Los Angeles Herald Depicts the Mine as It Appeared at That Time.
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