▁Out ▁West , ▁was ▁published , ▁review ers ▁compared ▁it ▁to ▁nov els ▁by ▁Jane ▁Aust en , ▁Leo ▁Tol sto y , ▁and ▁É mile ▁Z ola . ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 8 , ▁Al aska , ▁the ▁Great ▁Country , ▁an ▁account ▁of ▁H ig gin son ' s ▁travel s ▁in ▁Al aska ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁a ▁history ▁of ▁Al aska , ▁was ▁published ▁and ▁subsequently ▁went ▁through ▁several ▁ed itions ▁( M ur ray , ▁ 1 9 9 0 : ▁ 1 3 2 ). ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 4 , ▁H ig gin son ’ s ▁story ▁" The ▁Message ▁of ▁Ann ▁Laura ▁S weet " ▁was ▁named ▁Col lier ’ s ▁magazine ▁prize ▁story ▁and ▁awarded ▁a ▁prize ▁of ▁$ 5 0 0 ▁by ▁a ▁panel ▁consisting ▁of ▁former ▁US ▁President ▁The odore ▁Ro ose vel t ▁and ▁investig ative ▁journal ists ▁Mark ▁S ull ivan ▁and ▁I da ▁Tar bell . ▁With ▁these ▁publications ▁and ▁awards , ▁H ig gin son ▁became ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁most ▁popular ▁writer ▁of ▁the ▁Pacific ▁North west ▁( B ay m , ▁ 2 0 1 1 : ▁ 5 5 - 5 6 ; ▁Ward ▁and ▁M ave ety , ▁ 1 9 9 5 : ▁ 5 7 - 5 9 ). ▁ ▁Editor ial ▁work ▁▁ ▁H ig gin son ▁started ▁her ▁lif el ong ▁editor ial ▁work ▁at ▁age ▁ 1 5 ▁when ▁she ▁began ▁work ▁at ▁the ▁newspaper ▁office ▁of ▁The ▁Oregon