▁years ▁later ▁to ▁work ▁in ▁a ▁white ▁lead ▁factory . ▁Over ▁the ▁next ▁ten ▁years ▁he ▁worked ▁in ▁fert il izer ▁plants ▁in ▁Reading , ▁Pennsylvania ▁and ▁Jackson ville , ▁Florida , ▁as ▁a ▁rail road ▁construction ▁worker ▁and ▁saw mill ▁employee ▁in ▁Florida , ▁as ▁a ▁street car ▁mot orm an ▁in ▁New ▁York ▁City , ▁as ▁a ▁l umber ▁camp ▁and ▁long sh orem an ▁in ▁Port land , ▁Oregon ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁sail or . ▁F oster ▁even ▁hom est ead ed ▁for ▁a ▁year ▁in ▁Oregon ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 5 , ▁although ▁he ▁also ▁worked ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁odd ▁jobs ▁as ▁a ▁min er , ▁she e pher der , ▁saw mill ▁worker ▁and ▁rail road ▁employee ▁during ▁that ▁year ▁before ▁abandon ing ▁the ▁farm . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁described ▁by ▁American ▁Civil ▁Libert ies ▁Union ▁founder ▁Roger ▁Nash ▁Bald win ▁as ▁" t all , ▁sl ender , ▁blue - ey ed ▁and ▁soft - sp oken ". ▁ ▁Entry ▁into ▁politics ▁and ▁trade ▁union ▁work ▁ ▁F oster ▁joined ▁the ▁Social ist ▁Party ▁of ▁America ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 1 ▁and ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁in ▁the ▁party ' s ▁Washington ▁state ▁affili ate ▁until ▁he ▁left ▁the ▁party ▁in ▁the ▁midst ▁of ▁a ▁fa ction ▁fight . ▁F oster ▁then ▁joined ▁the ▁Indust rial ▁Work ers ▁of ▁the ▁World ▁( I W W ) ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 9 , ▁when ▁he ▁took ▁part ▁in ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁I W W ' s