▁at ▁the ▁highest ▁prices , ▁of ▁any ▁b agn io ▁in ▁the ▁city ." ▁ ▁Other ▁forms ▁of ▁women ' s ▁work ▁ ▁A ▁few ▁women ▁came ▁to ▁California ▁with ▁their ▁hus b ands ▁and ▁children ▁and ▁often ▁helped ▁pan ▁for ▁gold ▁or ▁ear n ▁c ash ▁while ▁the ▁husband ▁tried ▁his ▁luck ▁p anning ▁for ▁gold . ▁O thers ▁came ▁directly ▁on ▁their ▁own ▁to ▁mine ▁for ▁gold . ▁One ▁Mexican ▁woman ▁was ▁said ▁to ▁have ▁brought ▁several ▁workers ▁to ▁the ▁mines ▁to ▁pan ▁gold ▁for ▁her ; ▁another ▁made ▁over ▁$ 2 , 0 0 0 ▁in ▁forty - six ▁days ▁of ▁min ing . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁most ▁popular ▁ways ▁for ▁a ▁woman ▁to ▁ear n ▁a ▁living ▁was ▁to ▁run ▁a ▁board ing ▁house ; ▁the ▁mem oir ist ▁Mary ▁Ball ou ▁was ▁one ▁example . ▁Another ▁was ▁cook ing ▁or ▁running ▁a ▁restaurant . ▁California ▁was ▁about ▁the ▁only ▁place ▁that ▁women ▁could ▁ear n ▁w ages ▁higher ▁than ▁men ▁for ▁equivalent ▁work ▁because ▁women ▁ ▁were ▁scar ce , ▁and ▁the ▁men ▁would ▁pay ▁just ▁to ▁be ▁in ▁their ▁company ▁and ▁have ▁them ▁do ▁household ▁tasks ▁the ▁men ▁did ▁not ▁want ▁or ▁know ▁how ▁to ▁do . ▁One ▁enter pr ising ▁woman ▁earned ▁$ 1 8 , 0 0 0 ▁b aking ▁p ies . ▁ ▁W ash ing ▁clothes ▁was ▁another ▁occupation ▁women ▁engaged ▁in . ▁Origin ally , ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁was her w omen ▁were ▁Native ▁or ▁Mexican ▁women . ▁When ▁white ▁men ▁saw