TUESDAY, JULY 20, 1880

  Dear Diary,

  It’s in all the newspapers—The Dessoug is docked at 23rd Street. Cleopatra’s Needle is less than ten blocks from us! Annie and I rushed over there. As it turned out, there was nothing to see. Cleopatra’s Needle is still inside The Dessoug. But lots of people went there anyway. Somebody said there were almost two thousand people. All the ferryboat passengers were waving their hats and hankies.

  WEDNESDAY, JULY 21, 1880

  Dear Diary,

  The Dessoug docked at 51st Street today. We thought they were going to unload Cleopatra’s Needle there, but no. A crane on the dock lifted some big blocks of stone off the ship and swung them on to the shore. The blocks turned out to be the pedestal, the steps, and the foundation that are going to sit under Cleopatra’s Needle. A police officer told me they need to put those things in place first. That makes sense.

  They put the pedestal on this big cart at 51st Street.

  The pedestal was lowered onto a big truck wagon. I counted sixteen pairs of horses in front of the wagon—that’s thirty-two horses! I guess they need a lot of horse power to move the stone across Manhattan to Central Park. The pedestal looks soooooo heavy.

  After they loaded up the wagon, it moved very slowly across 51st Street. Annie and I watched for a while. The workers had to stop two or three times because the wheels sank into the pavement. Or is it “sunk”? Anyway, the horses looked like they were working really hard to pull the wheels out of the grooves in the street. That’s how heavy the wagon is—and that’s only the pedestal!

  I haven’t seen Cleopatra’s Needle itself yet, but I did see the man who is in charge of bringing it here from Egypt. His name is Lieutenant Commander Henry Gorringe, and all the newspapers are talking about him. Mr. Gorringe must be a very smart man. I saw him directing the workers at the truck wagon. He seems very calm and in charge.

  And do you know what Mr. Gorringe’s middle name is, Diary? Honychurch! Isn’t that adorable?

  Annie said we should go over to Mr. Gorringe and ask for his autograph. But I’m afraid. He seems so busy all the time. I would hate to bother him while he’s working so hard.

  FRIDAY, JULY 23, 1880

  Dear Diary,

  Cleopatra’s Needle is becoming a Broadway star! They’re selling all kinds of silly things with pictures of obelisks on them. This morning I passed by a candy stand where a man was selling “Cleopatra dates.” They were in obelisk-shaped boxes. And there’s a new drink at restaurants called “the Obbylish.” I want to try one, but Mom said it’s a drink for grownups.

  At our local sewing shop, you can buy Cleopatra’s Needle thread and other goodies. I saw a lady wearing a necklace that had a silver pencil shaped like Cleopatra’s Needle. I want one!

  Annie and I went over to Greywacke Knoll today, where the Needle is going to stand forever. It’s one of the highest points in Central Park. We watched the workers cutting down some trees in the area, which was sad. Afterward, we went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and looked at the Egyptian artifacts. It’s hard to believe some of them are over three thousand years old.

  New York has obelisk fever!

  THURSDAY, AUGUST 5, 1880

  Dear Diary,

  Everybody’s following the progress of Cleopatra’s Needle in the newspaper. Annie and I watched the workmen prepare the ground at Greywacke Knoll. They shoveled off the topsoil, and then they leveled the surface and filled the cracks in with concrete. They need to make it perfect and flat so Cleopatra’s Needle can stand up straight. After three thousand years, it would be horrible if it toppled over and broke in half!

  The workers took a long time getting the ground ready. It was boring so we left.

  THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1880

  Dear Diary,

  Now I know why they took Cleopatra’s Needle to Staten Island instead of bringing it straight to Manhattan. The newspapers say the man who owns the dock here wanted too much money and Mr. Gorringe refused to pay it. Good for him!

  But today was a big day. My parents took me and Annie all the way to Staten Island to watch them unload Cleopatra’s Needle from The Dessoug. We took a ferryboat, which was fun.

  The Dessoug is a big ship. It has to be, with that giant obelisk inside. When we got there, everybody (including me) was wondering how they were going to get Cleopatra’s Needle out of the ship. I couldn’t imagine. How would they lift the boat up high enough?

  Mr. Gorringe must be a very smart man. Do you know what he did to lift the boat up, Diary?

  Nothing! He just waited until the high tide came in at four o’clock in the afternoon. Then the water lifted the boat up all by itself. Smart!

  “Hurry!” I heard Mr. Gorringe shouting to the workmen.

  I guess they had to move fast before the tide went out again. A bunch of workers rushed over to The Dessoug with tools, and they started unscrewing plates on the side of the hull. It was very interesting to watch! I didn’t know it was possible to open up a boat like that.

  We pushed closer to see it with our own eyes. Lots of people were there. We all wanted to catch the first glimpse of Cleopatra’s Needle as it poked its pointy top out of The Dessoug.

  I counted. They took off thirty plates, opening up a big hole in the side of the boat. It was dark in there, so we couldn’t see anything yet.

  Before they could slide Cleopatra’s Needle out of the ship, the workmen laid down metal tracks, sort of like railroad tracks. The tracks went all the way from the ship to the shore. They were closer together than regular railroad tracks. And do you know what they put on the tracks, Diary? Cannonballs! Isn’t that smart? I guess it will be easier to roll Cleopatra’s Needle out of the ship than it would be to drag it. The workmen built a little boardwalk next to The Dessoug.

  It was time for the big moment. With all those people watching, it was hard to find a place to stand. Ropes were attached inside the ship and a bunch of strong men pulled on them. Suddenly this big pointy thing poked out of the ship. Everybody was cheering, even though we couldn’t see the actual Cleopatra’s Needle when it came through the hole because it is covered in wood. I guess that’s to protect it, sort of like the way a pillowcase protects a pillow.

  It was exciting to watch them roll the wooden casing out of the ship. But we were still disappointed that we couldn’t see the Needle itself. I cut this picture out of the newspaper to show the big moment.

  Finally, they took Cleopatra’s Needle off the ship.

  After it was all the way out, the workmen rushed to rivet the plates back into place and close up the hole in The Dessoug. They wouldn’t be able to sail that ship anywhere with a big hole in one side, of course.

  We caught the ferry back to Manhattan. Annie and I were sad because summer vacation is over now. School starts tomorrow. I won’t be able see Mr. Gorringe and his men bring Cleopatra’s Needle to Central Park. Maybe Annie and I can go after school and on weekends.

  FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1880

  Dear Diary,

  I begged Mom and Dad to go to Staten Island again, but they said I have to go to school. They are so mean! I’ll have to wait until Cleopatra’s Needle gets to Manhattan. It should be here in about a week.

  The New York Times says they’re going to use a different boat to bring Cleopatra’s Needle twelve miles up the Hudson River from Staten Island to 96th Street. It’s called a pontoon boat. That’s a boat with a flat bottom and big floats on each side. It doesn’t have a motor. They’re going to tow it behind a steamboat.

  I don’t quite understand why they have to switch boats, but there must be a reason. Maybe the water is too shallow at 96th Street for The Dessoug to dock there.

  SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1880

  Dear Diary,

  We are so lucky! Today is the day Cleopatra’s Needle came to Manhattan, and it’s Saturday so Annie and I were allowed to go to the Hudson River at 96th Street today to see it come ashore. We waited for hours with a bunch of other people. And then finally somebody shouted and we all looked to see the steamboat towing the pontoon boat up the river. Everybody was cheering and the other boats blasted their steam whistles as it approached 96th Street. Mr. Gorringe and his workmen had built a landing stage at the edge of the water.

  While we waited, I told Annie that I’m going to become an inventor when I grow up. And do you know what she told me? She said that she’s going to grow up and marry Mr. Gorringe! Isn’t that the silliest thing you’ve ever heard?

  It’s true that Mr. Gorringe is handsome and has nice blue eyes. But he’s at least twenty years older than we are! Annie said she calculated that when she’s 35, Mr. Gorringe will be 55. And when she’s 55, he’ll be 75, and that’s not so big a difference. Annie really likes Mr. Gorringe—and arithmetic.

  The route across Manhattan.

  After they positioned the pontoon boat at the edge of the water, the workmen attached the iron tracks with the cannonballs in them. This time they used a big engine with a winch and thick chains around a giant drum to drag Cleopatra’s Needle off the boat. At last, it was on the island of Manhattan, on dry land! We were beside ourselves with joy.

  SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 1880

  Dear Diary,

  After church, Annie and I went to see how far Cleopatra’s Needle had been moved since yesterday. Hardly at all! It was still sitting at 96th Street near the river. If you ask me, they should stand it up right there. That would be so simple. But they’ve decided to move it across Manhattan to Central Park. That’s not going to be easy. But I believe that if anybody can do it, it will be Mr. Gorringe.

  He has two teams of men working for him. We watched as one team put track on the ground in front of Cleopatra’s Needle, and the other team picked up the track from behind it as it inched forward. It’s very slow, but at least Cleopatra’s Needle is moving now.

  It takes so much time because 96th Street slopes up from the Hudson river so they have to drag Cleopatra’s Needle uphill. They put big iron wedges behind it so it won’t roll backward into the river. Can you imagine what a disaster that would be?

  I feel sorry for the men who are doing the work. I hope they are getting paid fairly. Somebody said the work pays nine dollars a week, which is not so bad. It’s more than most grownups earn, anyway.

  Then I thought of another problem. A train line goes up and down Manhattan very close to the Hudson River! It runs every hour or so, even on Sundays. I was wondering what would happen if the train arrived while Cleopatra’s Needle was crossing the little bridge they put over the tracks. That would be a disaster if a train collided with Cleopatra’s Needle.

  Annie told me she heard that Mr. William Vanderbilt, the millionaire who’s paying Mr. Gorringe to bring Cleopatra’s Needle here, owns the railroad. So he can stop a train whenever he wants to. One freight train did come along while they were pulling the obelisk over the tracks, but it was only delayed a half an hour or so.

  The train stopping for Cleopatra’s Needle at 96th Street.

  SATURDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1880

  Dear Diary,

  Annie and I could have gone back to 96th Street today. But we decided to go see the parade on Fifth Avenue instead. The newspaper said nine thousand Freemasons were marching, and thirty thousand people lined the street to welcome Cleopatra’s Needle to New York. There were bands playing, flags waving, and lots of horses and carriages.

  The parade ended at Greywacke Knoll, where there was a big ceremony. There were men in top hats and white gloves standing on a platform built just for them.

  The funny thing is, Cleopatra’s Needle isn’t even at Central Park yet. Mr. Gorringe and his men are still dragging it across 96th Street. The parade was just to celebrate the cornerstone being put in the foundation that will go under the obelisk.

  This is the interesting part, Diary. Along with the cornerstone, the workmen buried a time capsule in the steps of the foundation. It’s inside a lead box that was sealed with concrete to keep air out. I guess the time capsule will show people hundreds of years from now what life was like in 1880. Do you want to know what they put inside the time capsule? I made a list....

  —Some 1880 coins

  —Webster’s dictionary

  —The complete works of William Shakespeare

  —The Bible, in various languages

  —A copy of the Declaration of Independence

  —A New York City directory and map

  —The 1870 census

  —Some presidential medals

  And probably some other stuff too. I heard they wanted to put Mr. Bell’s marvelous new telephone inside the time capsule, but they couldn’t get one. Too bad. Annie said that maybe they could put a telephone in later, but I don’t know how they’ll be able to open up the time capsule after Cleopatra’s Needle is standing on top of it! The time capsule and all the things inside it may be under there forever.

  Oh, I almost forgot, Diary. Do you want to know a secret? Before they sealed up the foundation, Mr. William Hurlbert, the editor of The World, walked over and put one more thing inside. It was a small box. A secret box. Nobody knows what’s inside it. Well, Mr. Hurlbert knows, I suppose. But he’s not saying what it is.

  I love a mystery! Everybody is trying to guess what’s in the box.

  SUNDAY, OCTOBER 10, 1880

  Dear Diary,

  Believe it or not, they’re still dragging Cleopatra’s Needle across 96th Street. It takes so long! So Annie and I went to Greywacke Knoll to see what was happening. We got there just in time to see the men using a big crane to lift up the fifty-ton pedestal, swing it over the foundation, and lower it in place.

  One of the workmen told me they were instructed to place the foundation in exactly in the same direction as it had been when it was in Egypt. I don’t see why that matters, but I guess they had their reasons.

  Before we left, I asked a worker when he expected Cleopatra’s Needle would be standing up at Greywacke Knoll, and he said it could be months.

  Months?!

  WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1880

  Dear Diary,

  I have a confession to make. Annie and I told our parents we were going to school today, but we played hooky instead. I know it’s wrong and I feel bad about lying. But I read in the newspaper that Mr. Gorringe is having serious problems moving Cleopatra’s Needle, so I had to go uptown to see what was going on.

  When I got to 96th Street, I felt sad for Mr. Gorringe and his men. They are working so hard. It took a month just to move a few blocks. The rails they have been using keep breaking under the weight of Cleopatra’s Needle. It must be soooo heavy.

  They reached West Boulevard today and they’re trying to make a right turn there. I can’t imagine how they’re going to do it. It’s hard enough for them to move in a straight line. But I hope Mr. Gorringe will figure it out.

  THURSDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1880

  My parents found out that I played hooky yesterday. They were really mad. Now I can’t go out for the rest of the week. I am heartbroken.

  SUNDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1880

  Dear Diary,

  Today is Halloween, so my parents said my punishment is over and I can go out again. Naturally, I went to see Cleopatra’s Needle.

  Finally, they were able to turn the corner onto West Boulevard. It took six days (and nights)! Mr. Gorringe looked tired, worried, and a little angry. The weather is starting to get cold, and I know he wanted to have Cleopatra’s Needle in place by the end of the year. That’s not going to happen if it takes six days just to turn a corner.

  But here’s the best part, Diary. We were invited over to Annie’s house for Halloween dinner. And you’ll never believe who was there.

  Mr. Henry Honychurch Gorringe!!!

  I did not make that up! He is a friend of a friend of Annie’s father so they invited him over. I was nervous sitting across the table from Mr. Gorringe, and I didn’t say anything for the longest time. The grownups were talking about Cleopatra’s Needle and Mr. Gorringe said how frustrating it was to spend six days turning the corner on to West Boulevard.

  That’s when Annie’s mom started bringing out the plates of food and putting them on the table. After she put each plate down, she spun the invention I made for her, to make room for the next plate.

  I saw that Mr. Gorringe was watching intently as Annie’s mom put the food on the table.

  “Where did you get that thing?” he finally asked.

  “It was Rebecca’s idea,” said Annie’s mom as she pointed at me. “She invented it.”

  Mr. Gorringe turned to look at me.

  “Passing plates back and forth across the table is a pain in the neck,” I told him. “So I figured that putting them on a big wheel would make things easier.”

  “And what did you put between the two wheels to enable the top one to turn around?” he asked.

  “Marbles,” I replied.

  Mr. Gorringe looked at my invention for a long time.

  “What do you call this?” he asked me.

  “Uh,” I said, “it’s a table that turns. So I guess I call it a turntable.”

  “That’s it!” he exclaimed.

  “What’s it?” I asked.

  “You have given me a very good idea, young lady,” he said. And then he quickly gathered up his coat and hat and left.

  That was strange. After dinner, we celebrated Halloween by telling ghost stories around the fireplace. Then we bobbed for apples and had cider and doughnuts. Yummy!

  MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1880

  Today was absolutely the best day of my life, Diary. After school, Annie and I went uptown to see where Cleopatra’s Needle was. And do you know what we saw when we got to 86th Street? A giant turntable that looked a lot like my invention was sitting in the middle of the street! It had a circular metal track underneath it with cannonballs (not marbles) in the track. The workers were dragging Cleopatra’s Needle onto it.