ater, when part

of the narrow-gauge railroad was to be exploded, the cap didn't go off. Undaunted, Fielding grabbed a pistol and fired at the dynamite. The following day, and old oil house near the smelter was also blown up as part of the bridge scene. Today, there isn't much left of the operation. Large black slag piles are gradually being hauled away from Grant County's driveways and highways. The "Big Ditch" is fil

led with illegally dumped trash. Rusted pipes protrude from the ground. Twisted iron lies with scattered, broken brick. The burned foundation of the old Continental Ore and Chemical Co. fluorspar concen- tratorfrom Wold War II rests on the ruins of the old Silver City Reduction Works. A road toward the sewer plant south of town leads right by the old operation. There's not much to see. There are the tailings, the slag, and with some imagination, there's the old Silver City smelter. The Silver City Smelter Was Big Operation Reduction Works South of Town Once Em