Yucca glauca

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If so are any of the descendants of his selections around? 

That would be a resounding No. Except for Aster 'Dream of Beauty' and some cactus, everything is gone, though I like to think that there are gardens somewhere, where his selections are growing, unlabeled and forgotten.
As you're probably aware, most gardeners in this region want their gardens to look like eastern gardens, with daylilies and hostas and roses.

Bob

Your slice of heaven looks very nice.

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Same out here in the far west. Oh and for goodness sake don't forget to keep your blue grass lawn green. 

There are reasons for this. When xeriscape was first introduced, the idea (at least as presented at DBG) was a plant-for-plant replacement of water-loving plants with native dryland plants.
It has evolved into something quite different.

Bob

Why do we ever strive to get a garden at all with plants not naturally belonging to the landscape ;D
For example, why should I want to grow Yuccas in my garden - creating a lot of work and trouble for myself! It is unbelievable - but very fun ;D ;D

I enjoyed reading Barr's description of his search for colorful forms of Yucca glauca. I concur with John that most individuals are cream, sometimes with a blush of pink. Yet some redder ones are still evident e.g., this individual in a roadcut along Highway 14 above Sheridan, Wyoming. One problem in developing good color forms, at least from seed, is that it requires the patience of Job. Eight years ago I germinated a nice batch, and I am still waiting for the first flowering stem from the several survivors.

Alas, those I am growing were collected during a roadside stop in February near Billings, Montana. I suspect they will throw the typical cream blossoms, but those will be welcome regardless.

So John, did the roots left sprout in multiplicity, or just one sprout per group of roots? 

Was there a difference between dug plants and the one who's crown rotted?

The only advice I have ever heard regarding root physiology for cuttings is a size consideration.  I have never heard it mentioned, for example, that the actual taproot might be better for cuttings than the laterals, given equal girth.  Purely based on this, it would seem that latteral root cutting propagation of at least this species of yucca would be successful.

I would have thought that someone would have tried it by now, though.
  Maybe someone out there has...?

I think excavating a plant can be done without lasting damage. I've certainly done so with another species of yucca--Y. baccata, I think--and it responded as John suggested: I now have two very large specimens in separate parts of the garden.

By the way, Michael, that is a drop-dead gorgeous avatar photo.  I don't want to veer from the Yucca topic too much, but what is it?

It is Castilleja scabrida, taken on 28 April last year in a canyon that is tributary to the Escalante River between Boulder and Escalante, Utah. I've not (yet!) attempted to grow it, because I lack hectares of sandstone.