THE CAPE BABOON OR BAVIAN 



legs, and who had wooden substitutes, was employed 

 as a signalman on the railway. He had a tame baboon 

 which he taught not only to know each lever by 

 name, but to pull them as required, and push them 

 back into position when the train had passed. He 

 had only to call out the name of the lever, and the 

 baboon instantly pulled it. When the day's work 

 was over the ape helped his master to put his light 

 travelling trolley on the line, and actually pushed 

 it up the inclines. It was most amusing to watch 

 the baboon strenuously pushing the man on the 

 trolley along the line, and to observe how eagerly 

 and joyously it took its seat on the back of the 

 trolley on a down grade when it skimmed along 

 by its own weight. 



The story of this baboon is most interesting, and 

 deserves to be placed on record. He was known 

 by sight to nearly all the residents of Port EUzabeth ; 

 and the Uitenhagers were so proud of their sub- 

 human cousin's cleverness that his history and 

 exploits were told to friends and acquaintances far 

 and wide. A railway guard named James Edwin 

 Wide was knocked down by a train in 1877, and both 

 legs were severed at the knees. He was subsequently 

 given the job of gatekeeper, and afterwards promoted 

 to signalman. Wide's cottage was some distance 

 from the signal-box, and finding it not only hard 

 but slow work journeying to and fro on his wooden 

 pegs, he made a light troUey for himself. One day 

 he saw a half-grown baboon on the market and 



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