Well worth a look. Blincoe was basically conned into volunteering to become a millhand at the age of eight or so, and found himself in a harsh world where 14 hour days were normal, and the 'food'frequently consisted of water porridge - that is, oatmeal and cold water, eaten at the loom. He survived, and eventually had a family and became a respectable tradesman, but the treatment he received in the mills left its mark on him. He was stunted and bowlegged, as many of the hands were because of malnutrition, and some were deformed by the work they do, too. Years of crawling under machines to piece threads together, one-handed, caused some hands to develop lopsidedly, and the work was often dangerous, with injuries common. A fellow orphan of Blincoe's was dragged into a machine and smashed to bits, surviving for a year or so after.
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dancing_serpent
(no subject)
Date: 2009-08-01 09:37 pm (UTC)Well worth a look. Blincoe was basically conned into volunteering to become a millhand at the age of eight or so, and found himself in a harsh world where 14 hour days were normal, and the 'food'frequently consisted of water porridge - that is, oatmeal and cold water, eaten at the loom. He survived, and eventually had a family and became a respectable tradesman, but the treatment he received in the mills left its mark on him. He was stunted and bowlegged, as many of the hands were because of malnutrition, and some were deformed by the work they do, too. Years of crawling under machines to piece threads together, one-handed, caused some hands to develop lopsidedly, and the work was often dangerous, with injuries common. A fellow orphan of Blincoe's was dragged into a machine and smashed to bits, surviving for a year or so after.