It would be impossible to describe in words the reception which the team received upon its return to Lowell after this memorable game at the Polo Grounds. Of receptions, there had been plenty to victorious teams at Lowell, but all those that had gone before could not compare in any way with the glorious welcome that was given the team of 19—.

Commencement was still a few days off, but the season was over and it was time to put away the ball, bat, and glove, so far as real games were concerned. Very soon commencement day would arrive and that day would see the departure from school of some of the greatest players the college world has ever known.

The evening before commencement the scholarship prize winners were announced by the Intercollegiate Athletic Association. There were hardly any surprises on this score, for it was apparent even before the games with Jefferson, to the few who had seen the two teams play, that Lowell would again carry off the prizes.

The wonderful showing made by Case, Hagner, Radams, and Robb during almost the entire season, put them so far ahead of all competitors that there could be but one result.

Hans, of course, standing head and shoulders above all of them in the records, carried off the prize as the best all-round man. Hagner was, next to Hal, the happiest man in school. No more selling books for him. His college course was assured. Furthermore, he received an invitation from the Pirates to join them at the end of his course at a salary which was so tempting that right then he signed a contract to begin as soon as he graduated, or before, if he chose.

Case also need not worry in future about his college expenses. All tuition and five hundred dollars per year during his college course was a wonderful thing for him, he thought; but when the manager of the Highlanders came along and offered him five thousand dollars a year to play with them after he was graduated he could hardly contain himself.

Radams was the winning pitcher, according to the records, and after considering a lot of offers he agreed to play with the Pittsburg Pirates, upon leaving school, if at all, because Larke and Gibbs had wanted him to.

Robb drew the other scholarship prize and there was a great scramble among the professionals to induce this heavy hitting outfielder to come with them. Jenkins, however, took Robb aside and told him quietly that instead of practicing law right away, he was going to play professional ball for a few years, that he had received such a tempting offer from the Tigers to manage their club that he could make more out of it than out of the law, and that professional baseball had been put on such a high plane in the last few years that it was as good a profession as any. He got Robb to agree to play ball with the Tigers, if he played on any professional team in the future.

Talkington fell a victim to the wiles of a Red Sox scout, so far as his promises were concerned, and agreed to join them as soon as he was graduated.

Several of the graduating players thought as Jenkins, and could not resist the tempting offers of large sums to join the big leagues and play ball for a living for a while.

Larke and Gibbs, as stated before, joined the Pittsburg Pirates. Larke as manager, and that’s how Radams came to show up there later.

Everson said he was going into the shoe business in New York State, and he did; but he couldn’t resist the temptation offered him by the Cubs and for many years played a rattling game at second base for them, and made a lot of money in this way. When he got there he was much surprised to find Miner Black pitching for them.

Delvin was signed by the famous New York Giants and for years was the premier third baseman of the country.

And as these alumni boys traveled over the country entertaining thousands by the display of their ability in the national sport they ran across most of the Jefferson team of their college days.

Frank Church became captain-manager of the Cubs where Everson and Black played and of course they had to talk over the great college games of 19— again.

Twitchell was showing the fans down in Cincinnati how to play right field.

La Joy turned up as manager and second baseman of the Naps of Cleveland.

Sam Warcford and George Mellen found old foes and made new friends when they met Jenkins and Robb on the Tigers, and you would have seen the surprise of your life if you had been present when Howard Cam and Tommy Beach hunted up the manager of the Pirates and found it was former Captain Larke of Lowell.

Roger Brest, it was learned, was trying his hand at managing the Cardinals of St. Louis, while Hollins landed with the Athletics of Philadelphia, and Harry Laird went with the Red Sox of Boston.

And so, boys, you who read this have read the story of the two greatest baseball teams ever known and seen how most of them learned their baseball; and you who live in the big league cities, if you want to see some of these boys play, you can do so almost any day from April to October. These fellows are just as much the heroes of the game to-day as they were at Lowell. They like to play the game for the fun there is in it as much as the profit. They like it for its thrilling situations and its excitement. They love to see the big crowds and when the stands are filled and they have to let the crowd out on the field they play their best and they all are just as anxious to win every game, as they were back in those good old days at Lowell.