▁h alls , ▁pe ep ▁shows ▁and / or ▁bro th els . ▁The ▁cost ▁of ▁passage ▁was ▁typically ▁paid ▁for ▁by ▁the ▁ent ert ainer ▁agree ing ▁to ▁work ▁for ▁the ▁pay ees ▁for ▁at ▁least ▁three ▁to ▁six ▁months . ▁These ▁entertain ers ▁initially ▁were ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁female ▁population . ▁Very ▁few ▁of ▁these ▁entertain ers ▁made ▁the ▁five - ▁to ▁six - month ▁trip ▁by ▁w agon ▁on ▁the ▁California ▁Tra il ▁or ▁chose ▁the ▁five - ▁to ▁seven - month ▁all ▁sea ▁journey ▁around ▁Cape ▁Horn . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁gold ▁min ing ▁and ▁associated ▁business es ▁prosper ed , ▁many ▁men ▁decided ▁to ▁make ▁California ▁their ▁new ▁home ▁and ▁many ▁hus b ands ▁or ▁potential ▁hus b ands ▁sent ▁money ▁back ▁to ▁their ▁original ▁homes ▁for ▁their ▁women ▁and ▁families ▁to ▁join ▁them . ▁O thers ▁went ▁back ▁east ▁to ▁wind ▁up ▁their ▁business ▁there ▁and ▁esc ort ▁their ▁women ▁and ▁families ▁to ▁California . ▁Many ▁single ▁men ▁started ▁communic ating ▁with ▁female ▁acquaint ances ▁they ▁knew ▁and ▁many ▁propos als ▁were ▁accepted ▁with ▁this ▁long - distance ▁d ating . ▁In ▁some ▁cases , ▁it ▁would ▁take ▁ 6 0 ▁days ▁for ▁a ▁letter ▁to ▁go ▁from ▁California ▁via ▁Pan ama ▁to ▁a ▁city ▁in ▁the ▁east ▁and ▁another ▁ 4 0 - 6 0 ▁days ▁for ▁a ▁reply , ▁so ▁this ▁was ▁’ slow ’ ▁cour ting . ▁ ▁If ▁these ▁long - distance ▁propos als ▁were ▁accepted , ▁the ▁pros pective ▁gro om