Everybody was saying how it had taken six days to turn the first corner, but only a few minutes to turn this one.
“And this is the young lady who invented the device,” Mr. Gorringe announced as he pointed to me. Everybody clapped and I took a bow.
I’m an inventor!
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 1880
Dear Diary,
Today was Election Day and everyone was excited. My father voted for Mr. Winfield Hancock. My mother said that if women were allowed to vote, she would vote for Mr. James Garfield. If I could vote, I would vote for Mr. Garfield too. His wife is named Lucretia, and that is my cousin’s name.
We don’t know who won yet, but the winner will be the 20th president of the United States. I wonder if Mr. Gorringe voted today. Every time we come to watch, he’s always working. I can’t imagine him taking a rest to go vote.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 1880
They moved the Cleopatra’s Needle six hundred feet today—the best day so far. Mr. Gorringe and the workers seemed happy. Maybe they will be able to finish the job before the year ends.
While the men were working, Annie and I walked across Central Park to Greywacke Knoll. The workers there are assembling two tall wooden structures on either side of the pedestal. Everybody says that when Cleopatra’s Needle arrives in the park, they’re going to put an iron belt around it and the wooden structure will turn the obelisk so it stands upright. It seems hard to believe that will be possible, but I have to believe Mr. Gorringe knows what he’s doing.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 13, 1880
Dear Diary,
Cleopatra’s Needle is slowly making its way across 86th Street. Soon it will reach Central Park. I’m so excited! I wish I had a camera so I could take a photograph of it and paste it here, Diary. But cameras are very expensive and the only people who own them are professional photographers.
SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1880
Dear Diary,
With each passing day there are more people gathering to watch Cleopatra’s Needle as it moves across Manhattan. Not fair! Annie and I were here first.
A few of them are bad people too. I’ve heard that some souvenir hunters were caught hanging around near Cleopatra’s Needle late at night with hammers and chisels. They planned to chip off pieces and sell them as souvenirs. Isn’t that just awful? Why do people do things like that?
Luckily, Mr. Gorringe has guards surrounding Cleopatra’s Needle day and night. He thinks of everything.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1880
Dear Diary,
Cleopatra’s Needle has made it to Central Park, and just in time for Thanksgiving! Mr. Gorringe gave his workmen a day off to spend time with their families. But soon the obelisk will be on its pedestal, standing tall for all to see. I can’t wait.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 5, 1880
Dear Diary,
Getting across Central Park is taking longer than I expected. The city streets are smooth and flat. But the park is filled with hills, trees, and boulders that the workmen have to avoid.
Mr. Gorringe has one team of workers that starts at six o’clock in the morning, and another team replaces them at dinnertime. And Mr. Gorringe is supervising both teams all the time. I don’t know when he sleeps or where he gets so much energy.
Also, it’s getting really cold out now. It has snowed the last few days. The poor workmen look exhausted, and I’ve heard that some of them have come down with rheumatism. Some have just quit because the work is so hard. I haven’t heard that any of them died, thank goodness. Annie told me she read that six men died when the British brought their obelisk to London a few years ago.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1880
Dear Diary,
Cleopatra’s Needle reached Fifth Avenue today. It took nineteen days to get across Central Park. They set up the big turntable (you’re welcome!) on Fifth Avenue and turned the obelisk so it’s facing downtown. Just a few more blocks and it will be at Greywacke Knoll. Almost there!
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1880
Dear Diary,
Cleopatra’s Needle is at 82nd Street. I thought that they were just going to drag it the short distance from Fifth Avenue to Greywacke Knoll, but they didn’t. Greywacke Knoll is higher than Fifth Avenue, and they have to raise the obelisk about fifty feet to get it into position. The hill is too steep to drag it up.
So do you know what they’re doing? They’re building a railroad trestle! It’s made out of thick timber. It should be finished any day now.
The railroad trestle at the edge of Central Park.
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1880
Dear Diary,
I had school so I couldn’t go to Graywacke Knoll today. But the newspaper said they finished building the railroad trestle and they’re going to put Cleopatra’s Needle in place the day after Christmas. That’s also my birthday! I can’t think of a nicer present for me, for Central Park, and for New York City.
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1880
Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday to me! I guess it’s your birthday too, Diary. I wish I could give you a present. But you’re just a book, so I don’t know what I can possibly give you, other than more words.
