The miners were almost all men—most had left their families behind—and there were very few women in the camps. For fun, they played cards and gambled.
As time passed, the camps grew bigger, sometimes transforming into small towns. Since they sprang up so quickly, basic services were not organized. Fresh water was not always available, and the general conditions were pretty dirty. The miners didn’t bathe or wash their clothes regularly, so diseases like pneumonia and cholera spread quickly. Accidents were also common. Since the camps and towns were built entirely of canvas and wood, fires started easily. Sometimes a whole town would be destroyed by a fire. About 30 percent of the miners died from disease, accidents, or fires.
There were no laws in California at the time, and violence and theft were also common. Bandits, criminals, and other thugs ran freely through the camps. Even the names of the camps were rough: Gouge Eye, Hangtown, Rough and Ready, and the like.
-Excerpted from "Life During the Gold Rush" by Krista Garver
Which evidence from the text does not support the inference that miners were willing to risk their lives for riches?
The miners were almost all men who had left their families behind.
Diseases like pneumonia and cholera spread quickly in the unclean conditions.
Fires started easily because towns were built of canvas and wood.
There were no laws in California at the time so violence and theft were common.