It might be said that prostitutes were a mirror reflection of the 49er's intrepid, restless lifestyle. Like the miner, they came from all corners of the globe--France, China, Chile, and Mexico--and like the miners, took great risks in getting to California. The male population being unquestionably in the majority, any and all female newcomers were cheerfully welcomed, appreciated and respected, particularly prostitutes. For the downtrodden, sunburned miner, visiting his favorite madam was a pleasant interruption to the loneliness, monotony and fatigue of his daily life.

In the mountain town of Coulterville, a local ordinance was passed in 1859, prohibiting the operations of houses of illfame, which had become numerous. But like many of the unfair measures passed in the '50s, which banned several classes of foreign miners from working in the placers, this scandalous measure failed also. The professional dancehall girls found their way back into George Coulter's little burg, to the chagrin of the 'respectable' merchants. In an 1862 newspaper article, one writer had chronicled with some distaste, in addition to a couple of Faro gaming houses in Coulterville, "a house or two, pretty full of the kind of women David and King Solomon had, also exist."

This was not a condition of society restricted to Mariposa county's northern region. Well-attended were houses of pleasure found at Bear Valley's China Town, and at other outposts, such as Mormon Bar, Carson Creek, Hornitos and Guadalupe.

In 1854, an infamous madam, Sarah Ann Botteran, aka "Madam Clements," was brought before the Court of Sessions. At her place of business in Agua Fria, an assault had been made upon an unruly client, whom she'd beaten senseless with a ceramic bed pan. When found guilty on the charge of Assault with Intent to Commit Severe Bodily Harm by a jury of her peers (and clients), the judge, rather than send her to prison, fined Madam Clements $250.

Empty pocketed but undaunted, the "foolish virgin" returned to down-and-dirty Agua Fria and her extensive population of enthusiastic suitors. During the following year, Ms. Clements was again brought before the county court when Sheriff Thomas Early reprised his purging of the decidedly unrighteous settlement. This time, her lawyer, B.B. Harris, managed to have five out of six endictments against her thrown out of court. However, on December 15, 1855, a fine of $200 was levied against her, and the bewailing wicked woman was effectually put out of business.

Also hauled into public scrutiny during Sheriff Early's crusade were two of Mariposa's most tainted of doves, known by the sobriequets "Lowdown Aloe" and "Yokim." At this session even the sultry stables of Hornitos - little city of sun and sin - was represented by no fewer than four fallen angels: "Victoria Abiles," "Victoria Martinez," Louisa Howard, and Mary Blanchard.

Indeed, the "war" waged to eliminate the world's oldest profession from Mariposa county was a futile one, and even the zealous Tom Early had to finally concede this. In 1860, we find that adjacent to the household of Mr. Thomas Early there existed a brothel of five women headed by one Ah Fee, a Chinese laborer. Seven houses away was the Moon house.....a harbor of six other "bad girls"! Ironically these last two stables were within a stone's throw of Mariposa's stately white courthouse and governmental offices.



Table of Contents







harlots, prostitutes, sheriff thomas early, agua fria, bear valley, hornitos, mount gaines, shootouts, duels, ghost towns, 49ers, mariposa, california history, mariposa history, legends, bandits, outlaws, lawmen, desperadoes, mariposa county, mariposa county history, mariposa legen