Our Mantra
The next photo is the PROMPT. Remember, all photos are property of the photographer, donated for use in Friday Fictioneers only. They shouldn’t be used for any other purpose without express permission. It is proper etiquette to give the contributor credit.
PHOTO PROMPT © J Hardy Carroll
With its battered tin roof it looks like an old warehouse that has been abandoned. The windows aren’t broken and the concrete walls look rough. What story does this old shell of a building with its brick chimney tell you? Can you tell the rest of us in 100 words?
Genre: Historical Fiction
Word Count: 100
RADIUM DIAL
“Jinny was barely growed. 1914-1934” Her lower lip quivered as she traced the dates on the headstone with a frail finger. “She earned $17.50 a week painting them glow-in-the-dark clock numbers.”
Wind gusting across St. Columbus Cemetery chilled me. “Let’s get you home, Mrs. Abbot.”
“Not yet. I want you to see.” She seethed and brandished a Geiger counter probe over her sister’s grave. “Jinny took sick. Strange. Her jaws done crumbled. Died like the other girls at her factory. The doctors made lame excuses. Damned liars is what they was.” The machine sputtered. “That sound like Diphtheria to you?”
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It’s a long read, but if you want to know more of the story
Rochelle Wisoff-Fields-Addicted to Purple 
What a heartbreaking tale! The fact that it is not fiction makes it all the more painful. Guess capitalistic greed has been consuming innocent lives for far too long. One of your best ones yet, Rochelle. Cheers, Varad
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Dear Varad,
While the characters in the story are fictitious, the events are painfully true. I found so much information it was hard to distill it down to 100 words. Mrs. Abbott is heavily based on a woman who lived well into her 100’s because and attributes it to her quitting her job at the Radium Dial. She didn’t like the taste of the paint. Thank you very much for such a generous comment.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Nope, that sure don’t sound like diptheria to me. Brilliant story, Rochelle!
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Dear Neil,
Thank you for the early morning smile. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Reblogged this on All About Writing and more.
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Thank you for the reblog, Henrietta. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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You are welcome!
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So many lives trampled under the harsh, but mesmerising march of capitalism. It is happening even now, in the sweat shops around the world, child labour in Africa mining minerals for our smart phones. Great story Rochelle! Powerful voice! I could feel her outrage and deep sadness.
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Another little piece of history I was completely unaware of. Thanks Rochelle, what a needless tragedy.A good reason why health and safety shouldn’t just be viewed as a tiresome joke in workplaces, as much as we deride it sometimes.
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So true! With all the reports of health and safety violations and employees being overworked coming out of Tesla, guess we haven’t completely broken free of capitalism after all.
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It’s true, Varad. the Almighty Dollar is the important thing. 😦
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Dear Iain,
It was a senseless tragedy and way too many young women died. I was horrified, not only by the deaths but by the fact that no one seemed to take it seriously until a man was effected. Thank you for your comments.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Sad, sad story. Even more sad that it’s true.
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Dear Linda,
Sad indeed. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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How many people have been poisoned so others can have a luxury? Great story on a grim truth about our industrial past sins. On a similar subject, there is a movie about Marie Curie at our local movie theater. I haven’t seen it so I have no idea if it goes into her death by radiation poisoning…
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Dear Trent,
Pierre and Marie Curie paid dearly for their discovery, didn’t they? So many lives lost in name of progress. Thank you for stopping by, Hope you’re wearing your radiation proof vest. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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PS I wrote a story about the Curies a couple of years ago. https://rochellewisoff.com/2015/03/11/13-march-2015/#comments
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I have a tinfoil hat on. Does that count? 😉
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A brilliant short story, snapshot of the larger one. History I didn’t know, but I’ve read about the fate of lighthouse keepers of years gone by, poisoned by mercury in the light. So many health hazards no one understood until the results were glaring!
One day hubby and I counted up the car safety features added since we were kids, dearly bought by the lives of accident victims. Reading your story makes me realize just how good most of us have it now!
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Dear Christine,
I remember when it wasn’t unusual for children to stand up in the back of a car, hanging onto the front seats. And seat belts? Who ever heard from seat belts in a car? And if that wasn’t enough, dashboards were metal. No one wore helmets while bicycling. Yep, we took our chances.
I’m sure the list of senseless work related deaths is longer than we realize (and still growing).
Thank you for your generous comments and compliments.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Seems I remember reading about “The Tin Man” from The Wizard of Oz suffering later from being coated with asbestos paint? Buddy Ebson initially got the role but was allergic to the paint, lucky for him.
Yeah, we listed collapsible steering columns, anti-lock brakes, head rests, ban on hood ornaments, padded dash, running lights and more, as well as seat belts.
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It was actually aluminum dust in the makeup, Christine. Buddy Ebsen nearly died from the allergic reaction he had. His predecessor, Jack Haley developed an eye infection from it, but apparently that cleared up.
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Great story, and horrifying history. The crumbling jaw is especially effective.
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Dear Josh,
The crumbling jaw is one of the things that horrified me the most. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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This is so chilling… and I always wonder what they knew… I have heard that Marie Curie’s cookbooks still have to be sealed in a leadbox because they are so radioactive. Now I just have to find a story matching this picture.
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Dear Björn,
When all was said and done, they knew plenty. The owner of the factory refused to stop the manufacture of the radium dial clocks even though he knew women were dying from the effects. And hospitals and doctors covered their tracks by giving alternate diagnoses to those who died of radiation poisoning, calling it Syphilis or Diphtheria. Business is business. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I’ll be back to read your story, Rochelle, after I get over seeing the pic. Sorry. I have this insanely strong feeling that I’ve been here, in this place, and it wasn’t pleasant. Give me a few here.
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Take your time. ❤
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Once again I have learned something from your writings.Uncomfortable as it is to read, I’m so pleased I did.
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Dear Keith,
It’s not a pretty history lesson, is it? Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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And to think I once owned one of those old clocks with the glowing numbers. Even after it stopped ticking I still kept it… the small glow a bit of security as I moved from ‘house’ to house, over and over.
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Dear Jelli,
In one documentary I watched someone used a Geiger counter on a few of those old clocks. Yep…made it click and sputter. I’m sure we had those clocks, too. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment. (yes, that was on purpose). 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I saw something about this last year. What a tragedy that was. Poor young girls. I love where you took their story. And that end line. Wow!
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Dear Lish,
You know how it is when a story grabs you and holds you captive. 😉 It was a horrible tragedy and what a nightmare for those poor young women trying to make a living. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Wow. That’s amazing. I mean it’s horrible, but it’s amazing how you managed to bring this piece of history to life (yet again).
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Dear James,
Thank you for such a generous comment. It’s a horrible story that wouldn’t let go. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I’m somewhat surprised that I was unaware of these facts, but not surprised that you taught me a little more history. Your story was well written and placed us in the moment. Well done. Again! Chilling history.
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Dear Jan,
I was unaware of this history until a friend sent an email with a link thinking I might be interested. It will certainly make me think twice about using my mouth to bring my paint brush to a point. 😉 Thanks m’love.
Rochelle
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Good grief, that article was horrific. I’ll never, ever complain about Health and Safety pedants again. Thank you for bringing this injustice to light, Rochelle, in your usual inspired fashion.
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Dear Sandra,
The part that’s unfathomable to me is that once the problem was brought to light, the executives sought to sweep it under the rug while still more women died horrible deaths. Thank you for your kind words.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
The things you dig up…and teach us.
Now. How in the name of hell am I supposed to come up with a story after reading that? Yours is the only one I read before I get started… eesh.
Lotsa love and now feeling verklempt,
Dale
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Dear Dale,
I have every confidence you’ll figure something out. 😉 And it will be your usual brand of wonderful.
In any event, thank you for your comments. This is one of those stories that ‘found’ me in an email from a friend who thought I’d find it interesting. Interesting isn’t the word, is it?
Shalom and hugs,
Rochelle
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Nope. Interesting falls short as a word…
And than you for your confidence.
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Good story, Rochelle, about an extremely unfortunate time. I recently read a fictional account based on the radium girls and felt sickened by how the greedy manufacturers tried to cover it up once women became sickened. One diagnosis was syphilis because it could represent with so many symptoms, so not only was a young woman sick and dying but her reputation was ruined as well.
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Dear Sascha,
There was also a play written about the Radium Girls. The facts are more startling than fiction, aren’t they? Thank you re my story.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Yes, and oh, so sad.
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Oh, Rochelle! I’d heard of this – manufacturers coated all sorts of items with radium, such a novelty all those glow in the dark goods. And at what a cost. Tragic and so well told – a lovely voice for your poor old Mrs Abbott, still grieving for her lost sibling after so many years.
It reminds me of ‘phossy jaw’ a similar condition often suffered by people – often women again! – working in match stick factories. It was caused by absorption of phosphorus, the chemical that made the matches light. All that suffering. Beautifully written as always
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phossy_jaw
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Dear Lynn,
Too many work related tragedies to count. I have to wonder if they manufacturers knew the risks but considered their female employees expendable or were they innocent in the beginning? It certainly didn’t make much difference to them when the facts were laid out, did it?
Mrs. Abbott was a fictionalized version of an actual interview I watched on You Tube. Glad you liked it.
A couple of years ago I had a bone poke through my gum requiring oral surgery. The surgeon believes it was a direct result of drugs used for osteoporosis. Bisphosphonates. Hm. I ended up having to take 4 weeks of IV antibiotics for a bone infection as well. So I found the article interesting as well as up close and personal. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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It is scary how little workers were valued – people complain in this country that there are too many petty regulations regarding health and safety in the workplace, but instances like this are the reason why. I hope you’re better now, Rochelle.
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Fortunately, all of that dental nightmare is behind me, Lynn. Much better now. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thank goodness! 🙂
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Informative and heartbreaking. I wish that we could say that capitalistic greed was a thing of the past, unfortunately it still is not. Alas, there is still so much exploitation of the lesser privileged around the world.
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Dear Sheena,
Heartbreaking indeed. 😦 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Good story, Rochelle. I don’t know if I ever told you, but my family owned a jewelry store, and before that a watchmakers and jewelers supply business. My first job in the eight grade was to fill the orders for the watchmakers. One of the things we supplied were little tins of the paint to repair watch and clock dials that had chipped off or faded, and little brushes. How many here had a Baby Ben Alarm Clock… or a Big Ben?
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p.s. I see how you got your story from the prompt photo.
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p.p.s. Loved the audio.
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Dear Ted,
Nope, you never told me about your family’s jewelry store. And they probably had no clue about the danger contained in those little paint pots. My brother had a Baby Ben alarm clock. Who knew?
Thank you for your kind comments. Glad you enjoyed the audio. I’m trying to get accustomed to the sound of my own voice. 😉
Shalom,
Rochelle
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A fascinating treatment of appalling true events Rochelle. Reading it reminded me how angry I used to get as a student, reading accounts of corporate crime and the things (people in) major corporations and governments would do or omit to do to make money. The really disgusting thing is that it’s still happening across the world.
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Dear JS,
Corporate greed will never disappear I’m afraid. Thank you for your generous comments.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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You’re very welcome.
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A story that should not be made light of.
Please excuse the sad, but intended pun.
Randy
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Dear Randy,
Your comment set my heart aglow. Thank you.
Happy New Year to you.
Rochelle
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You have portrayed this so powerfully. Oh, the horror of this dreadful situation being allowed to persist for so long!
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Dear Edith,
It was a horrid situation, wasn’t it? Thank you for your generous comment. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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What a tragedy! The early years of the industrial revolution are filled with such stories. We have child-labor laws and OSHA because of such sloppy practices with worker welfare. I had never heard of this particular transgression before. Once again, you educate me.
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Dear Eric,
I’m always happy to educate. And in this case, I too, received an education. 😉 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Wow! What a chilling tale. Even more so because of the backstory.
Peace to you Rochelle.
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Dear Kat,
Who would have thought that something so innocent as putting a tiny paintbrush in your mouth would cause such a nightmare? One interviewee said that the girls had fun with the glow in the dark paint…to the point of brushing it on their teeth to glow in a dark room. Thank you for your kind comment.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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How horrible that is Rochelle! There is so much history that never makes it to school textbooks. If not for little writing challenges, I might never know.
Peace to you Rochelle
-kat
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A grim tale of real life. Sadly there will be other more modern toxic substances
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Dear Michael,
Who would have dreamed that such tiny drops of paint would cause such devastation? Thank you for reading and commenting.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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If you take the story in the most innocent of possible ways – that they were plain ignorant – then it makes you wonder what we are doing stupidly now to kill ourselves.
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Dear Alice,
Those girls had no idea what they were dealing with, did they? On the other hand, look what passes for food these days. And how many are killing themselves with large amounts of Aspartame in diet soda? Scary.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Krusty Kreme W(T)F,
I believe I saw a documentary on PBS about this subject, or maybe it was one where all the young workers died in a fire. Anyway, there were no Donut Ambulances in those days. Workers were just expendable as the unemployment rate was high. Donuts were a luxury and I was not yet a bun in my mother’s oven.
Poppin’ Fresh
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Dear Poppin’ Fresh,
Those were half-baked times when donuts weren’t plentiful and people in the Midwest didn’t even know about the existence of bagels. Makes me weep into my lox and cream cheese. Thanks for rolling by with your much kneaded words.
Shalom,
Krusty Kreme W(T)F
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This is heartbreaking Rochelle!
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Indeed! Thank you, Louise.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Well written, Rochelle. You’ve taken a historical event and made it personal with your story. I like the voice you found for Mrs Abbott.
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Dear Penny,
I like to think of history in personal terms and people who had feelings rather than statistics and dates in a text book. Thank you for your kind words.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Where DO you find all these tragedies, Rochelle? Well written as ever.
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Dear Liz,
This bit of history actually found me. A friend sent me a link and thus began my research trail. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Can’t think of what more to say. Still shocked. Thank you for sharing this.
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Dear FP,
As I learn them, I share them. 😉 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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oh dear, this must explain why some ghosts glow in the dark.
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Interesting concept, Plaridel. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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A tragic story, but so well told. Those poor girls. I love the voice in this one
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Many thanks, Laurie. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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More frightening because it is real. Another great story.
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Dear Susan,
Truth is often more terrifying than any fiction an author can create. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I thought this was a dystopian tale but as i mentioned in the background details this is a very disturbing painful reality. The atrocities that have been committed in the name of furtherance of technological developments. Very well written, Rochelle. Reading your stories can never be a bore, instead they are an infinite pleasure.
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Dear Neel,
Grim realities in the name of progress. Universally true. Thank you for your kind comments.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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really like your voice and accented character – 🙂
and so sad….
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Many thanks for your kind comment, Yvette. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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🙂
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Might be the same story I read somewhere before. The women licked the tip of the paintbrush for some reason (maybe to get pointed ends). And then ingested small but deadly quantities of this substance. A woman spent the rest of her life campaigning against the corporation and to make factories safer workplaces. Well done on the story.
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Dear Fatima,
It’s the same story. Unfortunately there are many chapters to it. The women were instructed to use their mouths to keep a sharp point on their brushes. No doubt the damage was cumulative. I found so much on the subject it was a challenge to distill it down to 100 words. Thank you re my story.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
I’d no idea about the radium girls. What an incredibly tragic story.
I read the whole article and was horrified by the descriptions of the girls’ tumours, and their jaws dropping off. How anybody could deny such evidence and do such monumental cover-ups?
You know, I think it’s best not to trust anybody who makes a big thing of telling you that something is safe. For instance, cigarettes were advertised as especially good for your health at one time.
What a world D:
I’m having a week off FF, but didn’t want to miss your story.
All best wishes,
Sarah
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Dear Sarah,
There are so many instances where something was considered safe only to find they were deadly…ie Coca Cola that got its name from Cocaine. While it no longer has that, Diet Coke is full of Aspartame which is the sweet way to destroy brain cells. We never really learn, do we?
Thank you for taking an ‘off’ week to read and comment. Much appreciated, my friend.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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It’s amazing what you get out from your kitty everytime Rochelle. What a chilling history over there. And a well connected story to the prompt. 🙂
Thanks for the article. It was horrifying. I quickly scanned through the symptoms that were a living nightmare for Mollie Maggia. I’m still in trauma with what had happened to her jaw. Sadly it’s only when we lose human lives that we realize that there is a problem, and sometimes, which is most of the times, humans just ignore their duty to other human beings at will.
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Dear Norma,
There’s a wealth of information on the internet. All we need to is follow the trail. 😉 This one was dropped into my email by a friend who thought I’d find it interesting.
Thank you for reading and commenting. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle, I love your flash fiction based on historical facts. So brilliant to manage to covey so much in such few words. Fortunately we’ve come a long way since then, although health and safety at work is an ongoing battle…
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Dear Luccia,
Sometimes I think we’ve come a long way and others I think we’ve regressed. Thank you for your kind words.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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This is so full of pain, the mother’s anger plain to hear and feel. So well done.
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Dear Sarah Ann,
So many families endured this pain. Unfathomable that it’s been glossed over and swept under the rug. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Alpha radiation is a pain. Can’t penetrate paper, but get it inside your body through ingesting or through a cut and your systems thinks is calcium, sends it to your bones, where the alpha particles keep hammering away until you crumble. What a horrible way to die. Lovely story, as always, Rochelle.
Shalom
Kelvin
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Dear Kelvin,
Thank you for your wonderful, irony-filled comment. 😉 Such is progress and technology.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Oh this is so sad and so well written.
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Thank you, Clare. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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In many ways we have so far since these days, in many ways we have not.
Another very human story of historical fiction Rochelle
Bravo. .
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Dear Dawn,
In the wake of Las Vegas I have to ask how far we have come? 😦 Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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That is terrifying.
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Terrifying indeed, Marley. Thank you for reading and commenting.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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As usual an amazing and educative story Rochelle – thank you for painstaking recreating history and making sure we don’t forget and at the very least learn something.
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Dear Dahlia,
This one was an education for me as well. Who would imagine that such a simple act of painting clock dials would bring so much devastation? Thank you for your kind comments.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Hi Rochelle, this is a brilliant story. The setting at the graveside is so simple and powerful and the story of the deaths and cover ups is chilling. The clicking Geiger counter juxtaposed with the official explanation is …wow!
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Dear Rachel,
To such a wonderful comment/compliment I can only reply with two words, ‘thank you.’
Shalom,
Rochelle
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