Respectfully represent unto your Honorable Board the undersigned, that
they are inhabitants of the Town of Arlington, in the County of
Middlesex, in said Commonwealth, and residents of that portion thereof
known as the Winter Street District; that one Richard M. Johnson is
occupying or using certain buildings and premises in said Arlington
for the purpose of carrying on and exercizing the trade, occupation or
business of collecting, storing in pits and vaults, carting, selling,
delivering in various other ways, exposing on said premises on said
Winter Street the articles commercially and commonly designated
“night-soil;” that said trade, occupation or business is a noxious and
offensive trade and occupation, is a nuisance, is hurtful to the
inhabitants; is dangerous to the public health; that the exercize is
attended by noisome and injurious odors, offensive smells and
exhalations, and is otherwise hurtful and dangerous to the
neighborhood.

That your petitioners have applied to the Board of Selectmen of said
Town, acting as Board of Health, to prohibit said Johnson from the use
of said premises for the exercize of said trade, occupation or
business, and to cause said nuisance to be abated, removed and
prevented.

That said Board of Selectmen have failed to effectually remove said
nuisance and prevent the exercize of said trade on said premises.

Wherefore your petitioners humbly pray that said Johnson may be
prohibited from the further use of said premises for the exercize of
said trade, occupation or business, and that said nuisance may be
abated, removed and prevented.

   Petition signed by Wm. A. Fitzpatrick and 29 others

From the facinating newspaper abstracts site.