The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-08-04
Captain Hatfield and Agent
Bacigalupi Sanguine of
Their Tours.
GOLD FEVER SEEMS TO Be ABROAD.
Hundreds of People Are Carefully
Studying the South American
Goldfelds.

II one were to Judge of the feeling Of the
general public on mining matters by the
interest manifested in the proposed expe-
dItions to Peru, the spirit of venture is
very much alive in this part OF the world.
Whatever the masses all over the coun-
try may believe or disbelieye about the
mineral wealth of Bolivia and Peru. it
seems there are hundreds of people, many
OF whom have been in South America,
who have confidence that there il a great
deal of gold in that country which may be
obtained by a reasona BILE amount of work
and enterprise.
The average man pooh poohs the idea
OF the trip to Peru as he does the idea of
trip to Alaska, but Captain Hatfield of
the Lancing and Peter Bacigalupi, who is
passenger agent of the proposed steamer
trip, say they are besieged from morning
until night with applicants who desire to
try their fortunes in the rayines and
along the rivers tributary to the Amazon.
Il feel sure that there will be no hitch
in our trip" said Captain Hatfield yester-
day, 'for there are scores of men and
women ANXIOUS to try their fortunes in
some new part of the world like Peru.
7 here will be no doubt about our trip if
the people continue 10 roll IN the way they
have been coming for the past week. l
will soon know whether the trip is a GER
tainty, but l say that 1t now appears al
most certain that we will make the trip.
Il have seen enough OF Peru and OF the
people here to believe there Will be many
fortunes made if the expedition goes for
ward as planned. or course no one can
guarantee that fortune will be made by
any one special person. but it seems to
me that there are fine opportunities. and
I am judging largely by the opinion ex-
pressed by mining men who have seen the
county,
The same story is told by Peter Baciga-
Iupi, who is passenger agent of the
steamer, which, he says, has been char
tered for the trip. He says there have
been many applications. and that the
steamer will probably have its load ready,
at the present rate of enlistment, by the
25t of the month.
More than forty people came TO see me
to-day about tirst-class berths," said he,
land the chances are that there Will be as
many more tomorrow, for the reports of
the gold finds have reached the ears OF
thousands. Five men engaged third
class fare, and they are eager to go"
One of the most enthusiastic men re-
gardIng the trip to Mollendo is Peter
Averdick of 206 Sansome street, VINO lived
@. in Peru for many years. He was in the
mercantile business there, and he said
yesterday: II have bought as much as
:. five. pounds of gold al time of the In
,dians-of one Indian l mean. The noun
~Iains and the ravines are rich, and feel
sire that q trip there will be far better
than one TO the north. / am willing to
go again and l shall go on the first vessel
that starts from this port"
: Averdick was one of the first men to
register for the steamer trip yesterday.
= Captain Miranda was kept busy all day
at the Palace Hotel answering questions
relative to the gold fields of Peru. As lie
Is IN the oil business there he is also well
informed regarding the mineral situation
He recently received some new maps and
encouraging reports from the gold regions
and he is of The opinion thai the develop
ment of the gold region has hardly begun
in Peru.
He says there is little doubt that modern
methods of mining will result in a great
development OF regions heretofore almost
abandoned.
o Whatever may be the outcome OF the
talk about the gold OF South America, it
is evident that there is an unusual am cunt
:of interest among the masses, and the
projectors of both voyages say they are
sure TO have all the people they can carry
ii they decide positively to make the trip
within a few weeks.