▁intention ▁of ▁p anning ▁for ▁gold . ▁As ▁the ▁easy ▁to ▁find ▁pla cer ▁gold ▁became ▁scar cer ▁and ▁min ing ▁became ▁more ▁complex ▁women ▁typically ▁moved ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁gold fields ▁and ▁into ▁some ▁other ▁type ▁of ▁work . ▁Most ▁women ▁had ▁many ▁marriage ▁propos als ▁and ▁could ▁get ▁married ▁almost ▁as ▁soon ▁as ▁they ▁found ▁someone ▁they ▁liked . ▁ ▁For ▁some ▁women , ▁the ▁Gold ▁R ush ▁opened ▁up ▁economic ▁and ▁career ▁opportun ities ▁they ▁ ▁didn ' t ▁have ▁back ▁home . ▁Julia ▁Sh annon ▁and ▁Julia ▁Rand olph ▁became ▁well - known ▁professional ▁studio ▁photograph ers , ▁a ▁new ▁field ▁that ▁was ▁relatively ▁easy ▁for ▁women ▁to ▁enter , ▁though ▁it ▁was ▁still ▁domin ated ▁by ▁men . ▁Ele an or ▁Dum ont , ▁or ▁Madame ▁M oust ache , ▁as ▁she ▁was ▁sometimes ▁known , ▁earned ▁her ▁living ▁as ▁a ▁card ▁sh ark , ▁moving ▁from ▁town ▁to ▁town , ▁and ▁eventually ▁opened ▁up ▁her ▁own ▁g amb ling ▁par lor . ▁Entre pr ene ur ▁Mary ▁Ellen ▁Ple asant , ▁who ▁called ▁herself ▁a ▁" cap ital ist ", ▁used ▁the ▁vast ▁wealth ▁she ▁accum ulated ▁to ▁free ▁slaves ▁through ▁the ▁Under ground ▁Rail road . ▁Other ▁women ▁worked ▁as ▁bar bers , ▁n urs es , ▁school te ach ers , ▁m ule ▁pack ers , ▁and ▁circ us ▁perform ers . ▁Charlotte ▁Park h urst ▁dressed ▁as ▁a ▁man ▁and ▁drove ▁a ▁stage co ach . ▁One ▁woman ▁managed ▁a ▁the ater ; ▁another