Readers, I have to say that I’ve been surprised not only at the amount of information I’ve been able to find about dear obscure Emmett, but where I’ve found it.
Last week, I did a wild-card search on Ebay for anything about Emmett, or Emmett’s colleagues. Lo and behold, I found this:
A photo postcard of Nicholas Van Sant’s house in Sterling, Illinois. The back is blank; it was unused. Also, there’s no date, but I estimate this to be around 1920.
Isn’t it great? I didn’t expect to find anything about Nick Van Sant on Ebay. It just confirms what I’ve discovered all during the three years I’ve been digging for information is that you have to look EVERYWHERE; and if you don’t see something the first time, chances are that database will be updated, or someone will post something like the Van Sant postcard, above.
The best part is that I’m just now starting the chapter about Emmett’s six-month tenure as Nick Van Sant’s law partner. Emmett was in this house, as a guest on occasion. The Van Sant house is still standing, by the way and in good condition. Maybe one day I’ll get to Sterling to see it.
Categories: Book Interesting & Odd Research Status
jsmith532
Professor,
Communication, Arts, and the Humanities
The University of Maryland Global Campus
Tell my story. 
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