John Albert Krohn (1873-1956) is best remembered for his second trip, which commenced in Portland, Maine, during June of 1908 and ended there in June 1909, because he wrote a book: "The Walk of Colonel Jack."
The stakes of his first journey, which began in April of 1903 and concluded during 1906, were $5,000 --- and brought him to Chariton as well as other locations in Iowa. On that trip, he pushed a wheelbarrow outfitted as what he called a "trolleyette." His wife and daughter paralleled his route by train, serving as public relations advance staff.
Support for the journey came from the sale of cast aluminum tokens, pass-the-hat public appearances and Mr. Krohn's gift of the gab. He actually seems to have done quite well for himself. The book he planned to write about this trip never materialized, however.
Anyhow, "Sailor Jean" passed through Chariton on Oct. 7, 1903, and made public relations visits to all three of the weekly newspapers being published here at the time. Here's the report in The Chariton Herald of October 8, published under the headline, "Sailor Jean Arrived Yesterday."
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A queer pedestrian arrived in Chariton yesterday, over the Q right of way from Indianola, and after a short stop proceeded southward. He called himself Sailor Jean, his right name being Jean A. Krohn, and he is walking to every state capital of the nation, on a wager of $5,000. He started from Augusta, Maine, on April 1 of this year, and if he completes his trip --- which will be 22,000 miles long --- within three years and six months, he will get $5,000, and $20 extra for every day he beats his time limit. He must walk all the way, and push a barrel wheelbarrow contraption that he calls a trolleyette. Inside the barrel he has a dress suit case, a lunch box, and a few other necessities of travel. The barrel is pasted all over with cards of offices and men through whose towns he has passed.
When Sailor Jean stepped into the Chariton Herald office yesterday, we knew him instantly. He was dressed like a sailor (although he never was a sailor) and his wheel barrow outside quickly attracted a crowd of sightseers, to whom he offered for sale his aluminum card plate souvenirs, by the sale of which he pays his way as he walks. The wheel of his trolleyette is equipped with a cyclometer, which registered yesterday 3,650 miles --- a pretty good jaunt on foot since the first of April.
Sailor Jean has already visited eleven out of the forty-nine state capitals, and is nineteen days ahead of his schedule. He has averaged 25 miles a day, rain or shine, which is 5 miles a day better than he needs to do. He was at Des Moines last Sunday, and is now heading for Jefferson City, Mo. He must get proof from the state officers as he goes that he has really been in their city, else he would not get the prize money.
His wife and baby are with him on the trip, but they go by train ahead of him. They arrived in Chariton from Des Moines on Monday, stopping at Mrs. Hurd's on north Main street, until Jean arrived here on foot and started on to his next town of importance.
Sailor Jean is a newspaper man by profession, and will write a book of his travels after he completes his unique and sole-wearing journey.
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