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TI: Okay, so now I'm going to go back. So your father was at the photo studio. Why did he leave the photo studio?

EY: I think he had an opportunity to go to Hardy's. His friend that, sponsor, again, was working at Hardy's, and he was, I don't know whether he was a [inaudible] or what, but he did some minute work, fixing up things. (Ted Hiraiwa did some fine detail work, which he was better suited for than blasting.)

TI: Where was the Hardy store located?

EY: First Avenue.

TI: First and what cross street?

EY: First and probably Pike, First and Pike area.

TI: And how do you spell Hardy? Is it...

EY: H-A-R-D-Y.

TI: Good, okay. And you mentioned earlier that he was sort of in a management role at Hardy's?

EY: That's right. Once he goofed up. And his job was to, sure to be there first thing in the morning and open the front door. Well, he drank too much, and so he got, he went to work all right, but he had a long line of people waiting for him.

TI: So he overslept?

EY: Overslept because he drank too much the night before.

TI: And did anything happen to him for being so late?

EY: No, there was no penalty. I guess he must have had some good feature about him. Other than that mistake, why, he was very dependable. And the fact that, being a Japanese, and at the time, lot of the ladies were coming because of the Gentlemen's Agreement. They were in a hurry to be a resident here. And so he had the opportunity to service those people, and it was very, probably profitable for Mr. Hardy.

TI: Oh, because lots of the "picture brides"...

EY: "Picture brides," yes.

TI: ...came through the jewelry store?

EY: Well, they fellows bout the jewelry.

TI: So things like a wedding ring?

EY: And things like that, yeah. How much they were able to afford, I don't know, because it was a day when things were kind of tough on those people, too.

TI: I see. So it sounds like Mr. Hardy was a good businessperson, because by hiring your father, it would attract the Japanese, sort of, customers.

EY: Yeah.

TI: Okay, so that's why your father was so important. But then eventually you said Mr. Hardy retired.

EY: Yes.

TI: And then what happened? So he's going to retire...

EY: So Mr. Arold and Mr. Shepherd, the two, bought the store.

TI: Now were they also managers at the store?

EY: They were part of the store, yes. And I guess had he been, my father been a Caucasian, then he probably would have been in that, would have had the opportunity, too. But he wasn't, so Mr. Hardy suggested to him get into the importing business and maybe import pearls and other things.

TI: Now, but, so I want to go back. So when Mr. Hardy didn't sell part of the business to your father...

EY: No, he didn't.

TI: How did your father feel about that?

EY: Well, he was kind of sad. But given the opportunity to get some, get into the importing business, he went to Japan and bought (pearls -- crystals for watches).

TI: Right, so before we even go there, did the other two, the ones who bought the Hardy store, did they try to persuade your father to keep working at the jewelry store?

EY: No, I never heard anything in that way, no. So I doubt very much... I remember, Yoko and I was acquainted with Mrs. Shepherd. But I don't know how Mr. Shepherd... do you remember anything? Mr. Shepherd was a mason, and the mason helped Mrs. Shepherd a great deal (later in life), but she was... I don't know what broke. [Laughs]

<End Segment 4> - Copyright © 2014 Densho. All Rights Reserved.