Work Was Dubiously Legal
It was up to individual jurisdictions in the Old West to determine whether houses of ill repute were legal. According to some historians, the practice was widely accepted. Madams simply needed licenses to run their enterprises; the money from the licensing ensured the city profited.
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Other historians noted Bordellos had to pay fines, usually about $8 a month, to local governments to stay in business. Many authority figures apparently chose to overlook these establishments because they supported the local economy.
Many Saloon Girls Sold Drinks – And Nothing More
A common misconception exists that all saloon girls also turned tricks. In reality, many women who worked in saloons earned money from drink sales, not from sex. Drinks usually cost between 10 and 75 cents, and for each beverage sold, the saloon girls made a percentage of the profit.
By marking up beverage costs, saloon owners could profit and pay their female employees. A saloon girl could earn around $10 per week, almost $200 today.
Men Generally Respected Saloon Girls
There was a good deal of social stratification in the Old West, even among women. Those considered proper ladies fit the social expectations of the time; they were wives, mothers, and daughters, and most relied on men for support. Saloon girls were looked down upon by women with more traditional roles, but that didn't seem to matter much to the men who sought their company.
Saloon girls made up a small population of the Old West and were therefore sought after by men. Their low social status often even made male patrons feel comfortable around them. Furthermore, saloon owners often required customers to treat the women nicely; mistreatment could result in being banned from the establishment, ostracized from the community, or even killed.