Lesson 6: Prostitution in the West-Soiled Doves
The Busness of Prostitution
From the girls who worked from a tent or wagon that followed the early mining camps, prostitution in the Western towns grew and expanded into a big, structured business. From the fancy parlor houses to the lowly crib workers, prostitution had its own social hierarchy. Like gambling, prostitution became a huge moneymaking enterprise divided into many levels.
Parlor Houses
Parlor houses were the upscale places were the most attractive women worked. The homes were very elegantly furnished and the finest of food and wine were served. The house was run by a madam, usually an older woman who had once been a prostitute herself, and had saved up enough money to purchase her own establishment. Women in these establishments were well-educated, cultured and well-dressed. The girls charged between 20 to 30 dollars a night and their clients were usually wealthy businessmen. The average miner or laborer, who made about 20 dollars a month, would not be able to afford to visit such a place, and if he did, his dusty boots would not be welcome.
Brothels
The next step down from the parlor house was the brothel. These houses also had a madam in charge. Brothels were not fancy as the parlor houses, but they were well kept. The girls charged between ten to twenty dollars a visit. Theirs was not as high volume a trade as was found in the cribs and lower establishments. Individual brothels varied from being very clean and well-furnished to being less so, depending on their affluence. Tokens stamped "good for one" were often handed out to entice men inside. Money was made in the form of high-priced drinks and repeat business. Some of these establishments did do a volume trade, and many of the girls set a ten-minute timer. They were paid extra for "overtime." Still, working in a brothel was much more favorable than the next step down, the "crib".
Cribs
Cribs were small shacks that usually set in a row. A crib cost around 25 dollars a week rent and the working girl made between 25 cents to 1.50 for her services. Though some of these women may have had a pimp, many of them worked solo. The women would often stand at window, partly clothed, to attract business. Some of the girls "entertained" as many as 60 customers a night. Most of these women were alcoholics or drug addicts or older women whose beauty had faded or whose addictions had made them unacceptable to work in a parlor house or brothel.
Chinese girls were often forced to work in cribs. These "daughters of joy" were sold by their families or kidnapped. Often they were addicted to opium.
Streetwalkers
By the time the working girl reached the lowest level, of streetwalker, they were fast approaching a dead end. These women were homeless and carried a blanket they could lay down in the alley. Most of them were destitute and were either alcohol or drug addicts. They offered their services for a few coins or accepted a drink or drugs in lieu of pay for their services.
