Emerson Worth

Elderly Emerson Worth was a friend, retired journalist, and pet project, of Martie Malone.

From Image Cascade:

Journalist of days gone by. A philosopher who was of ill health and wandering mind.

"...Emerson Worth, past his eightieth birthday, was often too vague and maundery to fill in the dates and facts that Johnny needed. . . . .Emerson Worth was one of the builders of the city, a once nationally known newspaperman. But, outliving his usefulness, he had been a bitter and defeated old man until Johnny had said, 'Emerson, I'll help you write your book. Just spout to me and I'll put it on paper.' Thus the book was begun. . . An old man dreaming dreams and a young man seeing visions. . . . It had been Johnny's idea to hang the book together with items out of old newspapers and then to fill in with the story Emerson recounted. It was Johnny's dream that Emerson's dream be fulfilled."

"Emerson Worth (often) quoted from the man for whom he was named " 'The highest price you can pay for a thing is to get it for nothing.' That's the trouble with this generation; they want everything. . .'"