operation - like the narrow-gauge railroad - never real

l years until 1913. Then, Romai

ne Fielding and the Lubin Motion Picture Company came to town, and the abandoned smelter caught the director's eye. "Sundy was a thrilling day for the Silver City people," said the Independent that year. "The Lubin Co. enacted a drama at the smelter below town, blew up the narrow gauge railroad bridge and two large water tanks and incidentally furn

ished amusement for 2,000 people scattered over the surrounding hills watching the interesting events." Fielding directed a mock labor riot at the smelter and 200 actors rushed up the hill behind the smelter and set fire to the water tanks. As they rand down the hill, the tanks blew up. "The site was a beautiful one, the tanks being shot fully 200 feet in the air and the rioters and spectators were covered with a shower of slingers and rocks." Later, when part of the narrow-gauge railroad was to be exploded, the cap didn't go off. Undaunted, Field

ing grabbed a pist

• Explosives Camp 2011: Applications available now!
  
  
• ol and fired at the dynamite. The following day,
  
  
• and old oil house near the smelt - er was also blown up as part of the bridge scene. Today, there isn't much left of
  
  
• the operation. Large black

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