RR Bagage tag Updated Info

[Mayo South Elgin]

I had previously posted this update in the Tokens & Tags section of T-Net but for those of you that haven't visited that forum section, here's a couple links...

Update: Check out these two links to additional info regarding the rail road baggage tag

http://www.railroadiana.org/pgQB.php

http://www.tagtown.net/morehous.html

A big thank you to both sites for the info!
It just goes to show, you never know what you're going to dig up, and just how old it can be.
As Scott Czaja mentioned, this tag must date from 1848 - 1864.
According to the info on Tagtown, the Morehouse baggage checks are very rare!

************************************************** ******************************
Had a great day out in the woods with Lowbatts and Skates Ice.
After several hours in one section of woods, we leisurely meandered to another section and along the way there I found the piece that can't get any stations. A genuine Transistor Radio! It was about two inches deep near a creek. Still has the 9V battery in it but it's seen better days. I can remember listening to Super CFL and WLS back in the day of the transistor radio. Seems like there was a lot less commercials and better music back then...

Also picked up a pocket knife which is actually in several pieces because of rusting. The mother of pearl handle seems to be fake.

When we arrived at the other section of woods, I only had to hunt about 5 minutes before I got a good nickel signal. Of course it was wedged in between and underneath some stubborn tree roots and it looks like I put a thin cut line across it. The date was unreadable until I cleaned it and it turned out to be a 1916. After putting a little vaseline on it, the date became pretty much unreadable until I wiped most of the vaseline off. It didn't photograph well.

Got another signal that sounded good but it turned out to be a stainless steel spoon.

After some time there we decided to go for lunch so we started down the trail.
After about 5 minutes I habitually checked for the probe which I normally stick in the pouch/apron pocket. It wasn't there! OH NO! There were three possibilities to it's whereabouts. 1, Hopelessly lost in the woods between thorns and poison ivy. 2, Somewhere on the trail where Skates and I stopped to look at my pocket watch, or 3, Somewhere along the alternate trail we took while looking for Lowbatts. Skates and I headed off on the alternate trail while Lowbatts went back down the main trail where I had been clock watching. Option number 2 wins and Lowbatts was the hero of the day - finding it laying right on the white gravel trail. Two joggers, (one with a one eyed dog) one bicyclist who rode past us in both directions three times, and 1 squirrel all passed it without disturbing it! I was SO glad it was still there and not lost in the briars and brambles. Thanks again Lowbatts for finding it!

After lunch we went to some sidewalk and parkway works.
I started getting the usual mem cents, a clad dime, a clad quarter. Then I got a signal that sounded good but when I stuck the digger into the ground, I was getting lots of roots from the tree I was next to. The last time I had a good signal in tree roots on a parkway tree, it turned out to be a lot of effort for a mem cent and I was really hoping this wouldn't be the same.

After 15 minutes of digging and only getting about 3 inches deep, when I probed the hole the signal was real strong but it was still underneath roots and the spot I was digging was like an octopus with 8 elbows of roots going in several directions. Finally after prying and pushing, I saw the edge of the bell shape tag. The piece that visited the train station!
I had pushed it into sight by pushing against the dirt under the root. This would have been so easy to destroy by the way I had to dig but I got lucky and didn't gouge it.

[Lowbatts]

Found a '44 wheatie, a nice small Coke bottle and a Garret Propointer out there today amid the buckthorn and the meandering. The meandering is so much better when it's both physical and mental and both so seemingly insane.

That tag rocks!

Here's the first google hit:
http://mypresentpast.com/home/railro...-railroad.html

Reading this page indicates the RR merged with CNW in 1864. The online city directory from 1859-60 lists an agent for the railroad also.

Looks like this is one VERY old RR baggage tag!

[Dirt fishing Wolf]

Great find Mayo from the octopus root

[kimsdad]

Cool radio, Mayo!!! Yep, the Silver Dollar Survey, Chicken Man, and all that stuff. We all wore out the dial just tuning from 890 to 1000 to see what was playing on the other station. Old music sounds the best when heard on a scratchy AM radio station for sure!

That RR tag - let me tell you - what a great find!!!

Worth a few bucks to a collector, too - and there are a lot of RR tag collectors out there!

[marinedad]

what a neat find, congrats.

[watercolor]

WOW! You have a real winner on that one

It appears that might be a "Galena & Chicago Union Railroad" tag from
the 1850's. . . unfortunately (but fortunate for you) the G & CU line was
never completed west of Elgin to it's intended destination. . . which was Galena

WONDERFUL find!!

[DPBOB]

Mayo
That tag is a great find......


I'll trade ya my 1843 L C I found today for it.....

[Mayo South Elgin]

Thanks for that link Tim! Very cool.

I also got some info from Scott at TagTown.net who said:
"I would think your tag is quite old.
I think it took an employee longer to setup the dies.

The G&CU is Galena & Chicago Union which was a predecessor of the Chicago & Northwestern.
The G&CU existed from the 1840s up to 1864.
For the Midwest, this is a very early tag.

I don't know the other line at the bottom.

Even if it's been dug, it's a good find!"

[Lowbatts]

http://www.pwrr.org/rrm/
Railroad reporting marks lists CF as Cape Fear Railways.

Now check out Cape Fear line runs and IC line runs and maybe that counterstamp can be id'd also.

Seems a tag like that with two RR stamps saw some travel before it got dropped in that parkway by the way back machine.

Talked to one of the engineers on site today. Landscapers will be there end of next week. Hone your trowels boys.

[Lookn4Seated]

One hell of a find Mayo, Congrats

[dirtyJohn]

I like stuff like that more than coins sometimes. The history's cool.
HH
John

[twistidd]

GREAT tag, Mayo!! Wow, I'll bet you are stoked!! That's the kind of item I think about when I think of REAL history. Unique and telling a story of the early days of railroad. Very cool.

Where's your 1916 Buff??

Joe

[Mayo South Elgin]

The 1916 Buffalo wasn't very photogenic as you can see...

[Lowbatts]

Yeah Baby! Gotta be more of them laying around!

[bilt46]

Killer find a VERY Nice Tag....
BillT.