“This Lowell crowd has put it over us in the past,” said Big George Mellen, star pitcher of the Western college, “but methinks that when we have finished our games with them this year, with the team we have now, this bunch of fellows will have wiped out not only all the disgrace of the football defeat, but also the long string of baseball beatings they have handed us in the past years.” About this time, too, various graduates of Lowell who lived in the West and had had a chance to see some of the games which Jefferson had played with other Western colleges, began to think that Church had finally succeeded in putting a team together that would, if they kept up the pace which they had set for themselves, give Lowell a pretty hard tussle. They could not quite speak what was really their true opinion because of their great belief in Jenkins, but when they looked way down deep in their hearts they not only felt these Western boys might give Lowell a pretty good tussle, but they were very much afraid they would take the championship. So they began sending what seemed at first to their friends at Lowell to whom they wrote some wonderful stories of the star players on the new team at Jefferson College, and gave many warnings that at last Church had a real ball team, and that when he brought his boys to Lowell the championship would at least be in danger. George Davids wrote to Delvin about a fast shortstop, who, strange to say, had come from the East to attend this Western college. “His name is Eddie Hollins,” wrote George, “and he is a star performer. He came direct here from Columbus College and I am surprised that you didn’t hear of him in time to induce him to go to Lowell. Of course, you wouldn’t be looking for a shortstop if you still had Brinker, and I hope you have had some luck in getting a new one. Hollins, however, is very fast on the bases and a wonderful fielder. Besides he is a crack-a-jack with the bat. You know I once had an idea about playing short myself, but this boy acts as though he had years of training under Joe himself.” From Amos Russell came a long report to Black about a wonderful pitcher that had been discovered. “His name is Cam,” wrote Russell, “and his curves are longer and wider than his name. He was born in Kentucky which explains why he happened to come to Jefferson. He is a right hander, with great speed, sharp curves, and he is long on control. I really think you had better send some one out here to look the whole team over. You may be able to discover some weak points. I have looked them over several times, and I think that for once dear old Lowell will have to hustle if they beat this team.”