▁from ▁several ▁countries ▁and ▁cities ▁to ▁work ▁as ▁sex ▁workers ▁and ▁entertain ers ▁to ▁capital ize ▁on ▁the ▁scarc ity ▁of ▁women . ▁Most ▁had ▁worked ▁as ▁sex ▁workers ▁or ▁entertain ers ▁in ▁some ▁other ▁city ▁before ▁going ▁to ▁California . ▁They ▁worked ▁in ▁sal o ons , ▁g amb ling ▁h alls , ▁dance ▁h alls , ▁pe ep ▁shows ▁or ▁bro th els , ▁and ▁some ▁set ▁up ▁their ▁own ▁business es . ▁Many ▁came ▁to ▁marry ▁a ▁prosper ous ▁min er ▁or ▁business man ▁and ▁leave ▁of ▁the ▁business . ▁Many ▁of ▁them ▁did . ▁O thers ▁became ▁mist ress es ▁to ▁high ▁rolling ▁customers ▁who ▁could ▁afford ▁to ▁keep ▁them ▁in ▁the ▁style ▁they ▁desired . ▁In ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 8 5 0 s ▁women ▁were ▁so ▁scar ce ▁that ▁sex ▁workers ▁were ▁not ▁typically ▁viewed ▁by ▁most ▁as ▁imm oral , ▁and ▁many ▁were ▁in ▁fact ▁highly ▁desired ▁and ▁their ▁company ▁act ively ▁sought . ▁Initial ly ▁there ▁were ▁virt ually ▁no ▁laws ▁prohib iting ▁or ▁trying ▁to ▁reg ulate ▁or ▁control ▁sex ▁work , ▁and ▁a ▁hand ful ▁of ▁mad ams ▁became ▁so ▁prosper ous ▁and ▁powerful ▁they ▁helped ▁keep ▁local ▁police , ▁do ctors , ▁the ater ▁man agers , ▁polit icians ▁and ▁liqu or ▁sales men ▁in ▁business . ▁The ▁often ▁fl am boy ant ▁fashion ▁styles ▁set ▁by ▁many ▁sex ▁workers ▁were ▁copied ▁by ▁other ▁women . ▁ ▁Most ▁of ▁the ▁women ▁who ▁worked ▁in ▁the ▁sal o ons , ▁g amb ling