Mike Sand pays a fine

 St Cloud Journal , July 3, 1875

Wow! Larry found that the Library of Congresses newspaper collection Chronicling America now includes the St Cloud Journal.  There's a description and details like how long it lasted, but all you need to know here is that the SCJ was a chatty little advertiser dealing mostly with a smallish group of acquaintances, and the stores they used ☺.

It was bought from Jane Grey Swisshelm after St Cloud proved it couldn't tolerate an uppity white woman running a newspaper.  Swisshelm's nephew, Wm Bell Mitchell, bought her out and pretty much avoided controversy for years.  Mitchell was the same guy who wrote the History of Stearns County, so there's that.

But, the article above--how do we know this was OUR Mike Sand?  Well, see the man he assaulted?  John Ferschweiler was a neighbor in LeSauk Township and the brother of a woman who married-in to the Sands...we've posted about them before.  

And here's Mike, still single at 23, fighting in the streets of St Cloud and being arrested for it.  His fine-and-cost combo was equal to about $350 bucks today.  WOW ☺

THANKS, LARRY!!