Fighting the mining company

To the Editor:

On July 17, eight of us women drove to Libby, Montana to picket the Montana Mineral Corp. who's president is Glen Dobbs, who is trying to cheat Louise Volve and Lucille Penny out of their stock that they have had for years.

Dobbs is saying there are three men who are using these two old women. He's saying these old ladies are being mislead. What a bunch of bull. I've known this family since I was eight years old and Louise was seven. No one puts anything over on Louise, she is sharp as a tack.

I was beside her and Dobbs when they were discussing the mine. She backed him down more than once. She was right up in Dobbs' face, I thought she was going to bite his nose off at one point. He was standing there holding one of our signs, it looked like he was picketing his own mine.

All of a sudden, he stopped talking about the mine and he moved his wedding ring back and forth and said, "I'm still wearing my wedding ring, my wife died in December." So smart me, I said, "Oh, are you saying that you are in the running again (meaning available)?"

Maybe he has heard the song, "Older women make better lovers." I almost said that, but thought better of it then. We talked about this later and wondered why he said this.

We have information that in September there is going to be Chinese and Russians coming to talk to him and his company about the mines. Is he selling the mines that he does not own to foreign companies? I also have information that Noranda Minerals was owned by China.

When did these people sell out to China? We are investigating this. In the paper in Libby, they made it sound like we may cost the men in Montana jobs. Montana men are not stupid. In my opinion, the mines will ship in Chinese to work the mines like they did in Kellogg and Wallace in the old days. Why do you think they are having Chinese and Russians coming in to talk in September and we will be there to protest again with more people on our side.

Glen Dobbs you better be prepared. You have a tiger by the tail and we have got people in Libby behind us too. You are trying to screw her over without a kiss. If anyone wants to help call these men and say how you feel about the abuse of these seniors, there is a law about abusing seniors. Their lawyer threatened Lucille Penny, she is 85 and in a care center in Libby. What kind of people are they? If the mining company thinks they are going to get out of paying Louise, they have another thing coming as this family is so large and the kids are in her will. If she dies, they will pursue the case.

I am going on the radio and tell everyone I can reach about this problem. Troy Mine employees are behind us. You people out there check if you have stock in this mining company and call these men, you may lose your stock also.

Joy French

Coeur d'Alene, Idaho