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The Daily Umbrella

The old burn barrel

By Shane Goodman

Try to describe the use of a burn barrel to city kids today, and you are likely going to get some strange looks — and maybe even a citation. For many of us, burning “stuff” in barrels was a common practice. These 55-gallon drums were regularly seen in the backyards and alleyways in many Iowa towns and cities. In some places, they still are.

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