E. D. Knight '16 Has Become an Authority on Spaniels—His Hobby
It is perhaps amusing to relate the acquisition of my first springer, the breed in which I am primarily interested. I had read avidly all of the writings of my now close friend, Freeman Lloyd, who was at that time engaged in boosting this spaniel as the great all purpose breed. I decided I must find out for myself, so I bought a pup. I had at that time about twenty or more dogs in rather inadequate quarters. I took the pup home. Said Mrs. Knight, "Why did you buy that?" Thinking lamely about for an alibi, I said, "To retrieve ducks." "Well," said she, "I'll retrieve all the ducks you ever shoot." Which by the way has been rather in the nature of a prophecy, since we have no duck hunting locally and other interests and restricted finances have combined to inhibit excursions to ducking territories since that time.
I have always enjoyed writing and when I was at the mines used to do a good deal of it for technical magazines in connection with electrical problems and applications as applied to coal mining. When the nature of my occupation changed and I was no longer in first-hand touch with these matters, I gradually withdrew from participation in literary efforts of this sort, and it was natural that I should turn to my hobby to seek an outlet. I started writing news notes on springer spaniels, and have since written, in addition to news, show reports, critiques, etc., editorials, fiction and poetry, mostly in regard to sporting dogs, and have gotten a great kick out of it even though that has been the principal perquisite.
About 1931 I began to be asked to judge bench shows and field trials, and the result of this has been an opportunity to study more closely the breeds in which I am interested, as well as some others and in addition, to make trips to various parts of the country with my expenses paid, where I have had most enjoyable times when otherwise with business conditions and personal finances in the shape they were, I would have remained at home practicing the well-known formula for becoming a "dull boy."
I was appointed to a committee to revise the standard of the breed in which I am primarily interested and I have been at various times requested to make suggestions concerning the standards for other breeds.
BUT THE PRINCIPAL asset that I have derived from this hobby of mine is literally scores of really sincere and valuable friends in every walk of life that I would never have met otherwise. When I open my mail in the morning, just as surely as I find some letter of a discouraging nature in a business way, I find another cheery epistle from a dog fancier friend that warms my heart and makes it that much easier for me to keep my chin up and go ahead. I honestly believe if I had the time and a little gasoline money I could spend a year in a tour of the continent visiting doggy friends, many of whom I have never seen, and enjoy every sport related to the outdoors which our country affords as their guest.
My conscience is perfectly clear concerning any time which my hobby has taken away from my business because those contacts I have made, without deliberate intention or any attempt to prostitute my avocation for benefit of commerce, which have been helpful in a material way and would never have been so strongly cemented except for the common ground of dogs, I feel more than overbalance any defection on my part.
My kennel has always been and is today modest in pretension and appointments as befits my means. I own today two American Champions and two so-called International Champion springer spaniels and one of these dogs has won three certificates of merit in open field trial competition, in addition. This group and my other dogs perhaps represent a potential value which does not seem in keeping with my circumstances, and yet they represent a comparatively small investment to me except in time and attention. Last fall in the comparatively short space of a few weeks, I had the good fortune to finish one bench champion springer, have another less than two years old, which I had bred, raised and ring trained myself, go winners in the two largest entries of the breed so far held in America, and to have my English setter win three field trial places. Needless to say, I enjoyed a degree of real satisfaction and pleasure that comes rarely.
To summarize my hobby, I would say that it is wholesome and healthy because the dogs must have exercise to keep in shape and that requires a degree of the same activity on my part. In the past two years sales of surplus puppies and stud fees have made it practically self-sustaining. Hence, it is more economical than, for instance, golf or trap shooting. It is sufficiently distracting to present a real surcease from business cares, and about all it is animate and presents the element of uncertainty that banishes ennui. After ten years of intensive dog fancying, not one whit of the kick has vanished.
Can. and Am. Ch. Langtown Lubricant—my favorite dog. Nine years old and can still take it in a stiff day's hunting.
Ch. Pat of Abilene—winner of three certificates of merit in field trial stakes. Sire of one champion and several near champions.
