Oh my God…
This application, guys — look at what it does for Emmett’s photo:
Chapter 127: The Role I Play
May 25, 1906Van Sant & WilsonSterling, Illinois There are black circles under my eyes; a wrinkled red crease impressed on my cheek from my coat. I’d used it as a pillow, wadded up under my head, to sleep on my office sofa. I don’t remember doing that; hell. I don’t […]
Chapter 119: Nick’s Handiwork
March 12, 1906Morrison, Illinois I am in Morrison, Illinois for circuit court. Nick and Ella are in LeClaire, Iowa; Nick’s mother passed on March 6, and he and Ella have been staying at the family home, taking care of estate business. His brothers are present; the Van Sant family interests […]
Chapter 116: The Letter from Lula
January 10, 1906 Dear Emmett — It is hard to believe that you’ve been gone for almost two weeks. Every now and then, I look up at dinner time and expect to see you coming in the door, with some amusing story to share about your day at the office, […]
Chapter 115: Bumpkin
January 18, 1906Van Sant & WilsonSterling, Illinois … I must admit it. The trip to Morrison didn’t go well at all. The entire train ride home, I tried to be philosophical about it. I’m still new here. I don’t know everyone here. It is going to take more than one […]
Chapter 114: Who was Lila Delp?
January 9, 2021Chevy Chase, Maryland Full disclosure: I don’t know for sure if Lila Delp was the stenographer/secretary for Van Sant & Wilson; but, she might have been. She certainly has an interesting back story that would fit the timeline and circumstances around Emmett’s time in Sterling. When I researched […]
Chapter 110: The best of everything
Wednesday, January 3, 1906Sterling, Illinois It was breathtaking, the snow, all blinding white, crisp, clean, cold. White fluffy drifts and dunes everywhere. I felt light hearted. “This is wonderful,” I said to Sydney Anning, as I looked around at the blinding whiteness that was everywhere. There had been a fresh […]
Chapter 109: The Annings
January 1, 1906The Boardinghouse of Mrs. Luella S. Anning802 West Third Street, Sterling, Illinois Nick had taken charge of everything related to my moving to Sterling. He’d even taken charge of finding my boarding house. I would have gladly made my own arrangements, but I had no idea where to […]
Chapter 107: New From the South
May 1, 2015Chevy Chase, Maryland I’ve been reading microfilm for hours. My eyes are dry. But what a freaking goldmine. Not only am I finding long-missing information about Emmett Wilson’s wherabouts during 1905 and 1906, there is a ton of contextual information about Nicholas Van Sant, Emmett’s roommates at his […]
Chapter 105: Transition
November 5, 2020Chevy Chase, Maryland According to the data collected on Emmett, his family and colleagues, I estimate that Emmett returned to Marianna sometime around the middle of November. Likely he assisted Cephas with whatever current court business was at hand at Wilson and Wilson, but there isn’t much in […]
