Jack the Baboon: The Railway Signalman Who Never Made a Mistake
Jack was a chacma baboon who worked as a railway signalman at Uitenhage station in South Africa in the 1880s. He pulled the signal levers for his owner, a signalman who had lost both legs, and after the railway tested him, it put him on the payroll.
Quick Facts
- Who: Jack, a chacma baboon
- Where: Uitenhage station, near Port Elizabeth, South Africa
- When: 1880s
- Worked with: James Edwin Wide, a signalman known as "Jumper"
- Known for: Operating railway signals, and being hired by the railway after a test
Jumper Wide
James Wide worked as a guard on the Cape Government Railways. He earned the nickname Jumper for leaping between moving carriages. One day he slipped and fell under a train, and he lost both legs. He made himself wooden legs and went back to work, this time as a signalman at Uitenhage.
How Wide Met Jack
At a local market, Wide saw something he had never seen before: a baboon leading an ox wagon. He bought the baboon, named him Jack and took him home. Jack soon began pushing Wide to work each morning on a small rail trolley.
The Baboon at the Levers
At the signal box, Jack watched Wide work the levers that set the signals for incoming trains. Before long, he was pulling the levers himself when trains whistled. Then a passenger looked out of a train window, saw a baboon at the signals and complained to the railway.
The Test
The railway sent officials to see for themselves. Jack set the signals correctly every time. Instead of being removed, he was given an official job with a small wage. According to the accounts handed down, he worked for nine years without making a single mistake.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was Jack the baboon real?
Yes. Jack worked with signalman James Wide at Uitenhage station in South Africa in the 1880s, and there are photographs of them together.
Was Jack really paid by the railway?
Historical accounts say the railway employed him after he passed a test, paying him a small wage.
Did Jack ever make a mistake?
The story says he worked for nine years without one. That record is widely reported but cannot be independently checked today.
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Sources
- Wikipedia: Jack (baboon): overview and citations
- University of the Witwatersrand thesis: James Wide and Jack in the historical record
- Nelson Mandela Bay Tourism: Jack as an official railway employee
More true animal stories: From Paw to Tail Blog
Cover photo: Unknown photographer via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.