Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 2.djvu/108

92 Giesy says that, although self-educated, he was a successful practitioner, and outside of the colony, as well as within, he had a considerable practice, and also at Portland, where he remained about a year after coming to Oregon.

As to the permanency of a community such as Doctor Keil established, Doctor Giesy expresses a negative opinion: "It will last about one generation if the leader is a capable man Doctor Keil's movement began in 1842, and lasted until about 1877. The men composing it were honest, whole-souled people; but with the next generation questions arise that the first cannot settle.' Doctor Giesy, is a practicing physician at Aurora, and owns a drugstore and building which was put up in 1869 by the colony. He paid for this, not taking any share of the colony's goods.

As to his own course of life, Doctor Giesy first took a claim of one hundred and sixty acres under the donation act then in force, at Willapa, but soon went to Portland and Aurora. In completing his settlement he was again at Willapa, and desiring to follow a professional life, procured medical books and studied alone, practicing in the meantime in a neighborly fashion for some of the people of the place., In 1868 he attended medical lectures at Salem under Doctor Wythe, since very famous as a microscopist and bacteriologist. After receiving his diploma, began practicing at Aurora, independently of the community, so far as professional services were concerned. He has remained here since in active employment with a drugstore as an auxiliary.

Doctor Giesy is a man of medium size, rather slender build, dark complexion and eyes, and beard and hair, now somewhat touched with gray. He has suffered somewhat in health from the rigors of a country practice and exposure day and night to the rainy weather—