What are mill girls?

Question

I just need to justify my answer of what I think a mill girl is..
and what jobs can a boy do to get their hands mutilated?

Answer 1

In 1821, the Boston Associates purchased land and rights to the Pawtucket Canal located north of the city of Boston, Massachusetts. The Associates built several textile mills and enlarged the Canal for water power. The first mills opened in 1823, and for the next 25 years more mills and a network of power canals were built. By 1848, Lowell was the largest industrial center in America! The mills produced 50,000 miles of cotton cloth each year. The Associates needed a large work force for the busy mills. They decided to run their mills using a work force of young women recruited from New England farms. Lowell was known around the world for this innovative solution.

As for what jobs can a boy do to get their hands mutilated...that could be a number of things...a hay bailer on a farm can do that, chainsaw in a lumber yard, punch press, machine work...etc.