Chapter 1

Leaves Ohio and heads westward Pages 1 - 9

Arrives at Challis, Idaho to teach school and becomes first County Superintendent of Custer County 10 - 28

Makes pleasure trip to Alaska with sister visiting Skagway and Sitka. 19

Adopts baby girl for childless friends in Challis 20 - 24

Beginnings in Alaska - Principal of schools in Skagway 28

Chapter 2 CHRISTMAS AT THE TOP OF THE WORLD (Year - 1917)

Arrives in Fairbanks - Superintendent of City Schools. 30 - 41

Travels by Dog Sled to Nenama (77 mile trip - 2 day duration) to spend Christmas Holidays.

Chapter 3 "THE LONE TRAIL"

Return to Fairbanks - hot water bottle spills out all over her in 45 degrees below zero on the trail 42 - 55

Chapter 4 THE WOMAN'S EDITOR 56 - 68

Becomes Editor In Chief of Special Women's Edition of Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - benefit to raise money to install and maintain one bed in American Ambulance Hospital in France - Enough money was raised to install 6 beds.

Chapter 5 PATRIOTISM "NORTH OF 53" 69 - 81

Opens Employment Office for children to work and earn money to buy Savings Bond. (210 - $50.00 bonds were bought) Alaska War Drive exceeds 7 times her quota.

Chapter 6 MATRIMONY ON THE YUKON 82 - 91

Thoughts and ideas about the struggles and hardships most couples faced getting and staying married in Alaska.

Chapter 7 THE VIKING Pages 92 - 108

Makes 14,000 mile swing round the circle - Seattle, D.C., New York,Up the Canadian Rockies and back to Alaska, which was definitely on the way to becoming "home".

Meets Martin Harrais - a real Sourdough - her neighbor across the hall.

Tells the life story of Martin before she met him - Where he was from and how he came to Alaska.

Chapter 8 SAN DIEGO INTERLUDE 109 - 119

Contracts pneumonia, leaves Alaska for Colorado and finally onto San Diego, California to recuperate.

Viking comes to San Diego to care for Margaret and they marry - October 25, 1920.

Five months later, Martin moves back to Alaska in hopes of recouping his fortunes - Margaret stays in San Diego for health purposes.

Chapter 9 "BE IT EVER SO HUMBLE......" 120 -127

Margaret returns to Alaska to teach school at McCarthy - has eleven pupils

Chapter 10 THE DAUNTLESS ELEVEN 128 -136

Margaret and the eleven school children share Thanksgiving with the Chitina Indians

The group also adopts an Armenian child thru Near East Relief Headquarters.

Chapter 11 AN ALASKAN VACATION 137 - 146

Margaret and Martin spent the summer months at Chitina in the wilderness

Chapter 12 CHRISTMAS IN SPITE OF HELL AND HIGH WATER 147 - 153 McCarthy, Alaska

Weather gets so bad this winter everyone is cut off 42 days from the remainder of the world.

Margaret becomes a member of Women's National Commission for Law Enforcement and Law Observance - an organization representing approximately fifteen million women -"One in a Million."

Chapter 13 THE LAW OF THE YUKON Pages 154 - 161 (The year 1930)

Martin heads home for Christmas and loses his horses and rig in the Chitina River - Martin's foot freezes and he narrowly misses amputation.

Margaret sets up a nucleus for a nice little library for McCarthy.

Chapter 14 ONE OBJECTIVE REALIZED (The year 1931) 162 - 169 Aviation comes to McCarthy - A landing field is built next to Martin and Margaret's door (summer home in Upper Chitna)

Martin stakes claims for gold and copper - Kennecott Copper Mines

Chapter 15 D E P R E S S I 0 N (The year 1932) 170 - 177

Strike out - their bank failed, they lost all the money invested for old-age security, school closes (no pay for Margaret), mining claims are left up a blind alley as the railroad closes.

The Harrais' move to near Cordova, where Martin will manage a little run-down sawmill on the coast.

Margaret takes a job to teach the Ellamar School.

Chapter 16 A SONG OF WORK (Years 1932 - 1934) 178 - 186

Margaret's pupils at Ellamar (8) are all Indian (Native) children.

Martin is appointed to a Federal Judgeship in Valdez.

Finally they purchase a 6 room home in Valdez.

Chapter 17 " MY DAY " (The year 1935) 187 – 194 Margaret relieves Martin as District Judge while he searches for a new gold mine.

Chapter 18 ALONE – SAYONARA (The year 1936) Pages 195 - 202 Martin dies Christmas Eve, 1936 in Seward Hospital.

Margaret becomes the U. S. Commissioner (Martin's former job)

Chapter 19 THE HOUSE BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD (The year 1939) 203 - 211

Margaret's main room in her house is now the Commissioner's Office.

Margaret makes a trip to Juneau to Territorial Board of Education Meeting and marvels at the hospitality of the city.

Chapter 20 REMEMBER PEARL HARBOR (The year 1941) 212 - 222 Alaska prepared for the war; controls the sea routes and direct air routes to Siberia, China, and Japan.

Chapter 21 VERY TRULY YOURS (The year 1942) 223-232

Margaret's letter of criticism and recommendations is printed in a report done to improve present conditions of the Commissioner status.

While aboard the Denali on a trip to Juneau, she is fired upon.

Chapter 22 "A HEAP OF LIVING" -- 233 - 242

Margaret's chief activity now is Chairman of the Valdez Community Hospital Board and she keeps the hospital staffed with doctor and nurses.

Margaret engages in merry scrap with Secretary of Interior, Ickes over statehood for Alaska.

Chapter 23 PAX VOBISCUM 243 - 247

Margaret gets clothes drive for overseas underway.

Chapter 24 (?) (Year is 1946) 248 - 254 Margaret is concerned about dictatorship under John L. Lewis - and where he is leading or driving the Nation; hence the (?). Alaska has no vote!

Chapter 25 BALANCING THE ACCOUNT (Year is 1948) 255

Margaret tries to evaluate over 1/4 of a century in Alaska with "Everything in Alaska is Big" - especially the hearts of the people! Life is never dull at the crossroads of the Earth.