Between 1881 and 1890, a baboon named Jack officially worked for the South African Railways as a traffic signalman. He earned 20 cents a day and half a beer a week—and in nearly a decade of service, Jack never made a single mistake.
Jack wasn’t just any baboon. He was a Chacma baboon who became the dedicated assistant of James “Jumper” Wide, a railroad signalman who had lost both legs in a tragic accident while working on the railways. Wide, known for his daring habit of leaping between moving train cars, had his life changed forever by that fateful fall. But he refused to let his disability end his career.
After spotting Jack at an open-air market, Wide saw potential in the clever animal, who was at the time driving an oxcart. He bought the baboon and trained him to push a trolley and assist with household tasks. But Jack’s intelligence quickly became evident. He soon learned to understand train whistle signals and how to operate the signal levers under Wide’s watchful eye. The baboon’s precision and reliability in handling the railway signals were unmatched.
One day, a passenger spotted Jack at work, switching the tracks, and was horrified. Complaints were made, and an official investigation was launched. But instead of reprimanding Wide, the railway managers decided to test the baboon. Superintendent George Howe observed the pair and was stunned. “Jack knows the signal whistle as well as I do,” he reported. “It was very touching to see his fondness for his master.”
Impressed by his accuracy and attentiveness, the railway company gave Jack an official job, complete with an employee number and regular wages. Signalman Jack became a respected figure on the Cape Town–Port Elizabeth Railway line, known for his flawless performance and devotion to Wide.
Jack’s remarkable story became legendary. His contribution to South African railway history is so revered that after his death in 1890, his skull was preserved and is now displayed at the Albany Museum in Grahamstown, a lasting tribute to the world’s most extraordinary railway employee.
Jack’s legacy also illustrates the critical role of railroads in South Africa during a time of great change. As the British colonies of the Cape, Natal, Transvaal, and Orange River united in 1910 to form the Union of South Africa, and later supported the Allies during World War I, rail played a crucial part in military mobilization. Without the railroad, the swift and massive movement of troops and supplies across regions would have been unthinkable.
Jack’s story is a fascinating blend of resilience, intelligence, and an unexpected friendship between man and baboon. In a time when human and animal partnerships were rare in such technical fields, Signalman Jack proved that loyalty, training, and trust could overcome even the most daunting challenges.
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