The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-07-29

never known man who knew just how
to shoot horse or a COW and do it sue
cessfully. She would not even allow her
husband to do that work, although he is
regarded as an excellent marksman. The
wife, though, has never missed her tar
get and one shot has always been suf-
fieient
Mrs Powers has been the agent of the
Keene society for more than two years
and during that time she has accom-
plished more satisfactory work. her
friends say. than any other agent In
New Hampshire. That is because she is
always ready to do her duty
In the last year Mrs. Powers killed
forty-one horses, one COW, a mule and
several cats and also made eight arrests
sending each offender to Jail.
IF you don't come I'll shot" This is
Mrs. Powers advice to the man she is
about to place under arrest, and whether
they know her reputation as a marks
man or whether they fear a siX-inch bar
rel IS calibre loaded in the hands of
woman they CO. OF the many men whom
she has arrested she was never called up
on to put the handouts on more than
three of them. These were unruly and
with that ease which is characteristic
of an experienced police official she Slip
about the prisoners wrists before he was
aware of what had happened.
Works for Whole County.
While Mrs Powers is the agent of the
Keene society and draws salary from
that organization, she has beeen assigned
to the whole of Cheshire county by the
county authorities and she also does SINH
lar work in Vermont.
At all hours of the day or night, Mrs.
Powers is ready to do anything in the
. line of her duty AS well as being author
lied to care for the animals in her dis
trict, she, too, is the general agent for the
Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to
Children, and If there are complaints to
make, and there are many of them
throughout the year, the people scarcely
ever think of consulting the police, but go
directly to Mrs. Powers. She has been
known to drive more than three hours,
soon after midnight on a stormy night,
practically ploughing through the snow
the entire distance, so that she could take
an animal away from a cruel owner and
humanely put it to death.
During the comparatively short time
that Mrs. Powers has been the general
agent of the Keene Humane society, she
has investigated more than 400 cases OF
alleged cruelty to animals.
There is not a man or woman in Chesh
ire county who does not know Mrs. Pow
ers by reputation if not personally. She
was born in Brattleboro, VT, forty-two
years ago and is not the lest bit shy in
telling her age She is the daughter of the
late e. W. Carter of the Fourth Vermont
volunteers and her mother followed the
captain through the service, suffering
hardships, entering the camps, taking care
of the sick and dying 1t is this same
daredevil spirit that moves Mrs. Pow
ers. She was married to Frank Powers
in Amherst some twenty-five years ago
or when she was only II years old.
Has Captured Many Snakes.
For several years she was a taxldermist
studying at st. Johnsbury, VT, and Prov
idence, r. l. She also took course in
entomology at Amherst (Mass) Agri-
cultural college She, too, stuffed spiders
and collected their nests for Amherst
college and also locusts for Wellesley
college More than 1000 insects which she
collected form a part of an exhibit In
the Natural History society collection
at Brattleboro. VT
In addition to these she presented tho
society with a collection of snakes, in
Guiding several she captured in Rattle
snake den on Wantasquet mountain. One
of these was four feet long and had ten
rattles.
Mrs. Powers career as humane agent
man mercilessly beating horse about
the knees with a cart stake. She was in
a room on the first floor at the time.
and although the window was several
feet from the ground she became so
incensed that she Jumped through the
window carrying SASH glass, screen and
all with her, that she might reach the
more quickly the scene,
She stopped him and that was the last
time that he ever abused a horse. es-
pecially when he was within sight OF
Mrs Powers. The agitation which fol-
lowed Mrs Powers remarkable leap led
to the organization of the Brattleboro
Humane society and she was appointed
agent. After working one year for the
society Mrs Powers took a course in
veterinary surgery from Professor Fer
maid at Amherst college.
Says It's Womans Work.
That any one should wonder at Mrs
Powers. a learned. active, prepossessing
and comparatively young matron, travel
ing along the street with a large re-
volver by her side and a medal designat-
ing her authority on her coat or waist
astonishes her. Women have followed al
most every other walk of life. and why
| is she not entitled to this? she says. Many
| persons want to know If 1t is the proper
work Tor a woman ana III III is FEMININE.
| Mrs. Powers thinks that If it is not the
work of a woman to relieve suffering 1t
| is nobody's work.
With her authority she has a perfect
right to go anywhere in New Hampshire
and Vermont She limits her territory to
| Cheslre county in this state, but goes
| through a greater part of the Green
Mountain state when the towns pay her
travelling expenses When she starts af-
| ter man she gets him..
| AS an example of her determination one
! of Mrs Powers friends cites a case She
! had heard that a Brattleboro (Nt) man
| had a horse in his stable that was lame
! and being abused TO such an extent that 1t
4 .~.I1o 10, .1raxn hn ~ ~