12
THE BATTALION.
“Limestone New Era,” for the purpose of aiding- in the
fight for the removal of the county site from Spring-field
to Groesbeck. The campaigm was successful and Groes-
beck was made the county site. In this way Mr. Foster
entered the field of journalism, and throug-h journalism the
political arena. In 1880 the people of Limestone county
elected him to represent them in the seventeenth legisla
ture, and in 1882 he was elected to the eighteenth legisla
ture from the sixty-second district, composed of Falls, Mc
Lennan and Limestone counties.
In these bodies great questions were discussed and
decided and he gained a state-wide reputation as a debater
and parliamentarian, which resulted in his election as
speaker of the house of representatives of the nineteenth
legislature. This was a distinguished honor, doubly so
from the fact that he was the youngest man ever elected in
this state to fill this important position. His administra
tion of the duties of the office was fair and impartial, and
such was the confidence of his colleagues, in the correct
ness and justice of his rulings on all questions arising in
the course of legislation that no appeal was taken from
any decision rendered by him during the session.
He was appointed commissioner of Insurance Statistics
and History by Governor Ross, and held the office during
Governor Ross’ administration. He was re-appointed to
the same office by Governor Hogg and held it until the
creation of the railroad commission. Upon the creation
of that department of the government he was appointed,
by Governor Hogg, one of the three members of the first
railroad commission of Texas. At the close of Governor