A Railway Signalman Who Lost Both His Legs In An Accident Purchased A Baboon In The 1880s And Trained Him To Work For The Railroad
In the 1880s, a railway signalman named James Edwin Wide was visiting a market in South Africa when he saw a chacma baboon driving an oxcart. Wide was impressed and decided to purchase the primate, whom he named Jack.
From then on, Jack became his pet and personal assistant, highlighting the unique bond that can be cultivated between humans and animals.
Wide needed Jack’s help because he had lost both his legs during a work accident several years ago. So, even though his commute to the train station was only a half mile, it was very difficult for him.
He trained Jack to push him in a small trolley to and from work. Jack also learned how to help with the household chores, such as taking out the trash and sweeping the floors.
However, his skills especially shone at the signal box. When trains approached the rail switches at the Uitenhage train station, they would blow their whistles a certain number of times to let the signalmen know which tracks to change. The signalmen would pull the correct levers to ensure the safe passage of trains.
As he observed his owner and other railway workers doing their jobs, Jack started mimicking their actions and switching the rails himself, demonstrating a remarkable ability to understand how the mechanisms functioned.
Soon, Jack became good enough to do all the work without any supervision, allowing Wide to sit back and relax.
One day, a posh train passenger looking out the window noticed that a baboon was controlling the gears. Of course, they complained to the railway authorities. The managers decided to test the baboon’s abilities instead of firing Wide. Ultimately, they were shocked by Jack’s skills and intelligence.
“Jack knows the signal whistle as well as I do, also every one of the levers,” wrote railway superintendent George B. Howe. He visited the baboon sometime in 1890 and saw Jack running things smoothly with his own eyes.
Kim – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual baboon
“It was very touching to see his fondness for his master. As I drew near, they were both sitting on the trolley. The baboon’s arms round his master’s neck, the other stroking Wide’s face.”
Jack was reportedly provided with his own uniform and an official employment number. He was paid 20 cents per day and half a bottle of beer every week. He became a local celebrity and attracted crowds. He was even featured in newspapers and magazines.
Sadly, Jack passed away in 1890 after developing tuberculosis. He worked the rails for nine years and never made one mistake that whole time. Jack the baboon was not just a signalman.
He was a symbol of the potential that creatures in the animal kingdom have to perform actions that we tend to think of as strictly reserved for humans.
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