hiver, n.² — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

hiver n.²

[SE hive (off) of bees, to swarm; the image is of whores ‘swarming like bees’ to the newly settled Western towns]

(US, Western) a travelling bawd; usu. in pl.

1889–90		Barrère & Leland Dict. of Sl., Jargon and Cant I 464/2: Hivers (American), women or men who travel with a swarm of filles de joie, generally in the Wild West, with a view to making money by them.
1890–1904		Farmer & Henley Sl. and Its Analogues III 319/2: Hiver, subs. (Western) – A travelling bawd.