Here we soon discovered the renowned doctor, in a toilette the very opposite of regal, zealously engaged in gathering his apples.  He was standing on a high ladder, in his shirt sleeves, a cotton apron, a straw hat, picking the rosy-cheeked fruit in a hand-basket.  Several laborers were busy under the trees assorting the gathered apples, and carefully packing in boxes the choicest of them—­really splendid specimens of this fruit, which attains its utmost perfection in Oregon.  As soon as the doctor perceived us he came down from the ladder, and asked somewhat sharply what our business there might be.  My companion handed him the letters of introduction he had brought with him, which the doctor read attentively through:  he then introduced my humble self as a literary man and assistant editor of a well-known magazine, who had come to Oregon for the special purpose of visiting Dr. Keil, and of inspecting his colony, of which such favorable reports had reached us.  Without waiting for the doctor’s reply, I asked him whether he were not a relative of K——­, the principal editor of the magazine to which I was attached.  I could scarcely, as it appeared, have hit upon a more opportune question, for the doctor was evidently flattered, and became at once extremely affable toward us.  The relationship to which I had alluded he was obliged unwillingly to disclaim.  I learned from him that his name was William Keil, and that he was born at Bleicherode in Prussian Saxony.  He now left the apple-gathering to his men, and offered to show us whatever was interesting about the colony:  as to the life-insurance project, he said he would take some more convenient opportunity to speak with Mr. Koerner about it.

The doctor, who after this showed himself somewhat loquacious, was a man of agreeable appearance, perhaps of about sixty years of age, with white hair, a broad high forehead and an intelligent countenance.  Sound as a nut, powerfully built, of vigorous constitution and with an air of authority, he gave the idea of a man born to rule.  He seemed to wish to make a good impression on us, and I remarked several times in him a searching side-glance, as though he were trying to read our thoughts.  He sustained the entire conversation himself, and it was somewhat difficult to follow his meaning:  he spoke in an unctuous, oratorical tone, with extreme suavity, in very general terms, and evaded all direct questions.  When I had listened to him for ten minutes I was not one whit wiser than before.  His language was not remarkably choice, and he used liberally a mixture of words half English, half German, as uneducated German-Americans are apt to do.