William Bartlet maintained his sense of humor despite losing a fine horse in the spring of 1806. Bartlet was living in Newburyport, Massachusetts, a bustling shipping center north of Boston, when he rented a small bay to Nehemiah Long on April 19th. Long was a short man, standing only slightly over four feet, and had advertised in the same paper as a tailor two months earlier.
When Long absonded with Bartlet's horse, he was wearing dark pantaloons, half boots, and a white hat. Bartlet also noted Long's "dark coating surtout," a close-fitting coat made of thick wool.
Bartlet divided his reward in a fashion which reflected his esteem for the two subjects - "19 dolars and 98 cents for the horse and 2 cents for the man." But he could he could hardly let his disdain for Long go there. Bartlet ended his announcement by declaring that "The horse was valuable - the man a villain, and both ought to be secured."
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