Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 3.djvu/342

332 of his native city, at the age of sixteen he was sent to an English school in Vermont for a short time. His father desiring that he should learn the leather business, kept him about the tannery and store for eighteen months. This proving uncongenial, and having a desire to acquire a knowledge of printing, he learned the trade in a French office. Determining to acquire a knowledge of English, he left home early in 1837 and worked in a Cincinnati office a short time, then in the Louisville Journal office two months, and that fall went to Saint Louis, where he obtained a situation on the Republican, remaining until the close of 1843, when he gave up his job to prepare for the overland trip to Oregon, and arrived at Spalding's mission at Lapwai as above stated. He worked in the mission printing office nearly a year, and in December, 1845, went to French Prairie. The following spring he was elected a member of the legislative committee from Champoeg County—changed to Marion County in 1850. Soon after he concluded to visit Canada, and started thither by the way of California and the Nicaragua route. On reaching California his homeward journey was temporarily given up. Here he met the northwestern limits of the Mexican war, and saw considerable active service under Fremont. For a time he was the alcalde of Monterey, and worked on the first newspaper printed in that place. When peace was declared in February, 1848, Mr. Foisy once more started for his home, via Central America, but was blockaded in the port of San Bias, Mexico. Soon he was relieved by Captain Bailey of the United States Navy, and taken back to Monterey. Here he remained until after the delegates to form a state constitution were elected. In that exciting event he took an active part against the spread of slavery. The years 1849 and 1850 were for the