, ▁i . e . ▁a ▁successful ▁min er ▁or ▁business man , ▁sent ▁money ▁for ▁passage . ▁Usually , ▁as ▁soon ▁as ▁the ▁pros pective ▁b ride ▁got ▁off ▁the ▁ship ▁they ▁were ▁r ushed ▁to ▁a ▁pre acher ▁to ▁get ▁married . ▁Most ▁single ▁women ▁in ▁California ▁quickly ▁had ▁several ▁propos als ▁for ▁marriage . ▁ ▁As ▁time ▁went ▁on , ▁the ▁ever - in cre asing ▁imm igration ▁of ▁more ▁women ▁and ▁families ▁started ▁changing ▁the ▁composition ▁of ▁the ▁female ▁population ▁and ▁the ▁entertain ers ▁soon ▁became ▁out number ed . ▁ ▁There ▁were ▁many ▁opportun ities ▁for ▁women ▁in ▁the ▁cities ▁and ▁gold fields ▁as ▁men , ▁star ved ▁for ▁female ▁company , ▁paid ▁extra v ag ant ▁fe es ▁to ▁associate ▁with ▁women ▁or ▁buy ▁products ▁that ▁were ▁made ▁by ▁women . ▁There ▁are ▁several ▁stories ▁of ▁women ▁making ▁more ▁money ▁s elling ▁hom em ade ▁p ies , ▁d ough n uts , ▁etc . ▁than ▁their ▁hus b ands ▁made ▁min ing . ▁Lau nd ries , ▁restaur ants , ▁lod ging , ▁m ending , ▁waiting ▁tables , ▁all ▁paid ▁good ▁w ages ; ▁some ▁women ▁made ▁their ▁fortune ▁as ▁entrepr ene urs . ▁ ▁The ▁entertain ers ▁were ▁joined ▁by ▁few ▁other ▁women ▁( less ▁than ▁ 3 % ▁of ▁initial ▁travel ers ) ▁who ▁came ▁either ▁over land ▁via ▁the ▁California ▁Tra il ▁or ▁by ▁sea ▁with ▁their ▁hus b ands ▁and ▁families . ▁They ▁refused ▁to ▁be ▁left ▁behind ▁to ▁f end