The ditch rider. William Ruesch Sr. A ditch rider would ride the ditch every day to make sure the canal was in good repair. When a storm came he had to race his horse to the headgate and shut off the water so the canal would not break.
The headgate of the Hurricane canal.
- The Ditch Rider
- by William and Vernie Lynn DeMille
- This historical fiction novel describes many of the stark realities the early western settlers faced in the harsh desert of southern Utah in the early 1900’s.
- The entire community depended on one mans dedication, courage and strength. If he failed, the whole town would suffer greatly and possibly become just another American ghost town.
- He did not fail! He rode through fierce winds, cold rains, the blackness of night and the canal was protected. His sacrifice made Hurricane a success, but so great was his sacrifice that his family suffered emotional scars for generations.
- The ditch rider returns to ride once more and to right old wrongs that can only be healed with a fuller perspective from beyond the grave.
