At the end of the 19th century, the intelligent baboon "Jack" was working on the railroad. He set up the tracks, made the travelers happy and helped the man - the disabled James.
The beginning of the 1880s. A lively market in Uitenhage, a city in the south of today's South Africa. James Edwin Wide, an employee of the local railroad, is strolling between the stalls. At one point, she notices something extraordinary:a bear baboon pushing carts and following simple human commands. Wide is delighted with it. Without a moment's thought, he moves towards the monkey's owner and offers to buy an animal. Despite his initial reluctance, the merchant decides to sell. This is how one of the most incredible stories begins, where an animal helps a human at work.
The accident that changed everything
James Edwin Wide was the guardian of the state railroads. Among his acquaintances he was called "The Knight". All because of the effective and dangerous tricks he used at work. What? Wide was famous for jumping from one speeding car to another . Unfortunately, at the end of the 1870s, he made such an unfortunate jump that he fell under a speeding train. He miraculously survived, but the doctors had to amputate both of his legs.
His situation made him tremble for the job. Although at that time the development of the railway was dynamic and generated new jobs - it was related to the discovery of gold and diamond deposits in this area - few entrepreneurs decided to employ a disabled person. Wide realized that he had to carry out his professional duties scrupulously, otherwise he could be deprived of his livelihood . When he saw a trained baboon at the market, he had an idea. As it turned out - brilliant.
"Jack", a medal helper
James called the monkey "Jack". At the beginning of their cooperation, the animal helped him in reaching the railway station - which had been very strenuous so far:for less than a kilometer, the baboon was pushing a cart on which a satisfied “Jumper” was sitting. Soon the monkey started helping with the housework as well, sweeping the floors and taking out the rubbish .
However, the real talent was presented by the animal in the control room that had it. There it shone. As the trains approached the switches at the Uitenhage train station, they whistled a certain number of times to inform the signaller which tracks needed to be changed. Watching his owner, "Jack" absorbed this pattern and began to pull on the levers himself. It is worth noting that he did very carefully.
The baboon "Jack" was pushing the cart on which James was sitting. This was how they both got to work
After a while, Wide was able to fully relax while his furry midfielder did all the work of rearranging the tracks. According to The Railway Signal:
"James trained the baboon to such perfection that he could sit in his cabin and eat treats while the animal pulled all the levers."
Official employment
The intelligent baboon working on the railway was a real attraction for travelers. More than once it brought a smile to the faces, especially of the youngest passengers. But not all of them. Once, a lady, traveling from Cape Town to Port Elizabeth, was horrified to see that a monkey was changing the lanes. When the Cape Town executives received her indignant report, their first reaction was disbelief. Persistence and the status of a wealthy woman made them convinced. They sent a delegation of inspectors to Uitenhage.
"Jack" was a bear baboon
On the spot, it turned out that the woman was not lying. Surprised inspectors wanted to fire James, but in an act of desperation James suggested that they conduct a test. "Jack" was supposed to prove he knows the job. The inspectors agreed, and then… they were amazed. The baboon came out perfectly.
After that visit, "Jack" was given an official employment number and salary:he was paid 20 cents a day, and he also received half a bottle of beer once a week. Some sources say that the golden drink was not the first alcohol the pet tasted. Before that, Wide was supposed to offer him a little brandy .
"Jack" worked until 1890, until he fell ill with tuberculosis. Railway Superintendent George B. Howe, who visited James at the time, reported:
"It was very touching to see his sympathy for his master. They were both in a wheelchair as I approached. The baboon had one hand around Wide's neck and the other was stroking his face. "
The baboon died a few weeks later. He worked in the railroad for nine years, and according to many reports, he never made a mistake. Jack's skull is in the collection of the Albany Museum in Grahamstown.
Bibliography:
- https://medium.com/lessons-from-history/the-monkey-who-worked-as-an-official-railway-signalman-for-9-years-d398d1742086
- https://ichi.pro/pl/jack-pawian-ktory-zostal-sygnalista-kolejowym-i-jego-partner-skoczek-wide-194790148335526