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SECRET OF A BRASS TAG. Baggage Check No. 17,201 and the Mystery oí Hermann Radtke's Fate. Bit of Metal Issued by the Chicago and Western Railroad tor Baggage Sent. to Council Bluffs in February, 1890. Found by a Sailor on an Alaskan Glacier in December 1892- Vain Effort Siuce to Trace the Owner. Heimanu Radtke wasnotsatisiied. He had fliat indefinablo restless feeling scieutifioally explained as the invisible forcé wtiich is constanlly pushing man from beliind, impellin him forward, and without whioh tliere would be no progress. Possessing that commou trait of the Teutonic race,' the desire to better liis condition, resultinu so ofteu in eniigration to America, Kadtke bethought himself of the far'wesl and the milder clima of the Pacific Blope. His friends had toiil him of the "Prairie Schooner" ot years iguiie, wlien weeks were eonsuuaed in the long, tedious overland journey ; but he had read of the mproveuients in travel füllowiug the advent of the "iron horse," and accordiugly, at'ter inquiry concerning the best route, lie purchased a ticket via the Chicago, Union Pacific & NorthWestern Line, paying only $6.00 additional for a completely equipped doublé jeith in one of the upholstered tourists cars which leaves Chicago every day in the year via the Chicago & Western Uailway. He could ïave checked his baggnge through to lestination, but for some reasmi checked it to Council Bluffs, receiving Claim Check No. 17,_",)1,- : "and thereby hangsj a tale." Th Chicago & North-We8tern general baggage otRce has an unsolved aystery - the'secret of check No. 17,201 r, what became of Hermánu Radtke? The matter lias mystified the Northwestern people during the last three 'ears and more. It was revived hy the recent turning up of a clieck from i losk drawer which as being cleared out. In tlie spring of IS!):; the general baggage office received froin San Francisco n ordinary brass baggage check stampd as followa : i ""c."&N."w."ëy. ' ; 17,201. Local. Attaclied the check was a srnall tag on which was written : "Found after thawing of snow on a glacier, December the 6, 181)2, on top of Coal Bluff, 6930' north latitude, Alaska, near 1'. S. V. Co. Station. Found by a sailor on U. f. Steainer Bear." By the baggage cliecking system of tlie road it was easy to ascertain that the baggage had been cueeked by a man named Hennunn Kadtke, froin Chicago, 111., on February 12, 18i)0, to Couucil Bluffs, Iowa. At the latter lation the baggage lay unclaimed until lay ld, 1891, when it was brouglit -o Chicago and solil at public auction or $2.50. During all these years tliere ïas been nothing discovered to peñérate the mystery as to how the bit of irass carne to "be found away up in 'nele Sain's frigid north western terïtory. W'iiat became of Hermann Radtke? t'hy did he leave his effects behind at ouncil Bluffs and what was hisfate? All these are the questions which the 'orth-Western people have asked over nd over again. Several times inquiries ïave been made at Chicago in the hope uit the holder of check No. 17201 may ïave had relatives who could throw ome light on Radtke's movements Eter he checked the trunk, but each ffort has proven futile. - The Pioneer.