▁how ▁luc r ative ▁the ▁profession ▁could ▁be , ▁they ▁also ▁joined ▁in . ▁A ▁p ond ▁in ▁San ▁Francisco ▁called ▁" W ash er w oman ' s ▁Bay " ▁became ▁a ▁popular ▁spot ▁for ▁women ▁doing ▁la und ry ▁to ▁con greg ate , ▁and ▁a ▁meeting ▁was ▁held ▁by ▁la und ry ▁workers ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 0 ▁to ▁discuss ▁fe es ▁being ▁charged ▁and ▁organ ize ▁into ▁a ▁society . ▁By ▁ 1 8 5 3 , ▁however , ▁Chinese ▁male ▁imm igr ants ▁had ▁supp l anted ▁women ▁in ▁the ▁la und ry ▁business . ▁ ▁Some ▁women ▁and ▁girls , ▁like ▁L ola ▁Monte z ▁and ▁L otta ▁Cra bt ree , ▁found ▁success ▁in ▁dan cing ▁and ▁acting . ▁Monte z ▁arrived ▁in ▁San ▁Francisco ▁after ▁a ▁career ▁in ▁Europe . ▁L otta ▁Cra bt ree , ▁the ▁daughter ▁of ▁Gold ▁R ush ▁imm igr ants , ▁began ▁her ▁career ▁dan cing ▁for ▁min ers ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁six . ▁ ▁Most ▁single ▁women ▁came ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁a ▁family ▁group ▁or ▁as ▁an ▁ent ert ainer . ▁Many ▁men ▁did ▁not ▁find ▁their ▁fortune ▁in ▁the ▁gold ▁fields , ▁and ▁having ▁a ▁woman ▁around ▁to ▁ear n ▁money ▁with ▁board ing , ▁was hing , ▁cook ing , ▁se wing , ▁etc . ▁could ▁mean ▁the ▁difference ▁between ▁the ▁family ▁living ▁well ▁and ▁not . ▁A ▁few ▁women ▁ ▁had ▁their ▁own ▁gold ▁min ing ▁claims ▁and ▁came ▁out ▁west ▁with ▁the ▁specific