What does Bill Bowen want?

mdchachi · 16 Jan 2019

I get that he's a single, non-drinker and likes the outdoors.
He wants to correspond with a Japanese-American who holds Democratic ideologies and has a sense of humor?
I wonder if he's looking for a date or is simply trying to brush up on his Japanese.

From Shin-Nichibei newspaper June 3, 1949.

I'm almost tempted to do some genealogy research to find out what happened to this Bill (William) Bowen who lived on 208 W Cypress St in Glendale CA.

musicisgood · 16 Jan 2019

You know, I think time flies a lot faster when you live in a foreign country. Hard to believe that I first came here in 74. Much has changed . Used to be able to smoke at the train stations. I think we could smoke in the train. (countryside trains that is).

Toritoribe · 16 Jan 2019

mdchachi said:
I get that he's a single, non-drinker and likes the outdoors.
He wants to correspond with a Japanese-American who holds Democratic ideologies and has a sense of humor?
I wonder if he's looking for a date or is simply trying to brush up on his Japanese.

From Shin-Nichibei newspaper June 3, 1949.

I'm almost tempted to do some genealogy research to find out what happened to this Bill Bowen who lived on 208 W Cypress St in Glendale CA.

It's 戸外を好み, not the terminal form 好む, so the previous parts still continue to the next.

Two interpretations are possible; 1)独身者で…持つ者 and 日系米人 are both explanations about him, or 2) 独身者で…持つ者 is the one he wants to correspond with. Anyway, I think 日系米人 refers to himself.

mdchachi · 17 Jan 2019

Toritoribe said:
Anyway, I think 日系米人 refers to himself.

I didn't consider this possibility especially since he doesn't look ハーフ in the picture.

Toritoribe · 17 Jan 2019

Judging from the use of 者 at the end of the first phrase, I think it refers to the one(s) he wants to correspond with. If it's his self-introduction, it would be more common to end with just 持つ without 者. If you have other advertisements looking for correspondents on the newspaper, it might be helpful to know the common format used there.

mdchachi · 18 Jan 2019

Toritoribe said:
Judging from the use of 者 at the end of the first phrase, I think it refers to the one(s) he wants to correspond with. If it's his self-introduction, it would be more common to end with just 持つ without 者. If you have other advertisements looking for correspondents on the newspaper, it might be helpful to know the common format used there.

Well keep in mind he's not native so may not not be following common norms. Interestingly there are no other ads like his.
Here's the source. See page 3.
Shin Nichibei 3 June 1949 — California Digital Newspaper Collection

Toritoribe · 18 Jan 2019

There are ads that might not be by Japanese-Americans on page2, e.g. タイル張り by FRANK KREBS, 貸しアパート五室 by A. H. BEHRENS or 教授ピアノの出張教授をする音楽の先生を求めている方 by Miss Rodman. I think the editor(s) of the newspaper would revise the text if the ad is confusing.
Indeed, it's also possible 3) both 独身者で…持つ者 and 日系米人 refer to correspondents. I now think that this would be the most probable one.

What does Bill Bowen want?

mdchachi

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