ery ore it could get - custom smelting included. And that meant copper was among those ores. Copper, in fact, was such a vital part of the smelter's daily operations that depressed copper market conditions forced a closure of the smelter. That was in April. On June 30, 30, 1903, the plant caught fire and was leveled. Silver City's hopes were dashed since the whole operation was going to be sold and once again put into productions. The sale took place anyway, and Comanche Mining Smelting Co. was the new owner. The reduction works were build on a larger scale. In 1906, the newspaper had this to say: "The big red building in which this ponderous machinery is