|
The Amazing Story of the Milk Can Cache
of the Matazals
by: G. Sterling
Deep in the heart of the rugged Matazal Mountains of central Arizona, a story unfolded over the past twenty years that is unique to the lore of the treasure hunter. For buried in a blind canyon are two old steel milk cans. One contains an incredible $320,000 in cash, and the other contains 80 pounds of gold! What makes this story so incredible is that the person who buried this stash is still alive to tell the story. I have talked to him, and I am convinced that he is not only credible, but also is not prone to exaggeration.
To understand the unusual circumstances that lead up to this fascinating tale, we have to travel back to the Oklahoma Indian Reservation to become acquainted with a young Comanche Indian boy who would become known as Yellowsnake. His boyhood was that of a student in the ways of his ancestors. These skills would serve him well during his journey through manhood.
Making the decision to openly embrace the world outside the reservation boundaries was not easy, but when a military recruiter visited the reservation, his fate was sealed.Yellowsnake made the difficult choice to become an Indian living in a white man's world. This decision would send him into the very heart of enemy territory during the Viet Nam War. His warrior skills were prized by his commanders, and the adrenaline filled exploits earned him numerous medals and commendations, along with Purple Hearts. His skills in the jungle were second to none, and he saw humankind at its ugly worst.
After the military, he tried to return to civilian life and the quiet of the reservation. By chance, an old helicopter became available and he decided that the adventure of flying would be a chance to add excitement to his life. He purchased it and proceeded to teach himself to fly it. He spent many exhilarating hours soaring through the Oklahoma skies.
But a call from an old friend from the military who was now in a civilian Government position soon had Yellowsnake in the jungles of Guatemala training "Contras" for Uncle Sam. Again, the pay was good, and the adrenaline flowed. After that excursion, Yellowsnake moved to Arizona, where he started flying supplies to the isolated miners throughout the rugged terrain known as the Matazal Mountains and Superstition Mountains. As he was on "retainer" to the US Government at the time, these helicopter resupply trips were a fun way to fill the days between drug interdiction assignments. He also go to know some really craggy old miners, as well as explore the desolate beauty of places few men will ever see.
Then
the banking and S&L crisis of the early '80's hit, and Yellowsnake was
concerned that his life savings were very much at risk. So he made arrangements
to withdraw all his money and interest, an amount well over $300,000, from
a local bank. He climbed aboard his helicopter, and flew into a remote
canyon in the Matazal mountains where two old miners lived. He had gotten
to know and trust them on his resupply flights, and asked to be allowed
to bury his life savings in the canyon. They agreed, and he secured his
greenbacks in one of the old steel milk cans he had brought, grabbed a
shovel, and set about digging a 6' deep hole. As he was about finished
with his hole, the two old miners asked if it would be all right for them
to add one of their stashes alongside his money. As mutual trust was not
an issue he agreed, and they secured 80 pounds of crudely smelted bars
in a second milk can. This was placed alongside his cash and the hole refilled.
A couple of years later, during a drug interception raid on board a ship off the California coast, a helicopter blade struck part of the ship structure and disintegrated. A portion took off half of Yellowsnake's face, and many months of hospital time and countless surgeries followed. As he lay in recovery, he realized that most of his long term memories were gone. He received a large settlement from the government, and now winters in Arizona. His old prospector friends were both dead when he finally got out of the hospital. Each year, he tries to retrace his past from the clues from family and friends, plus fragments of his own memories.
He can no longer fly his beloved helicopter, and things are much different in appearance from the ground, so his several horse trips into the rugged Matazals have been in vain. He wants to find his cache, not because he needs the money, but because he wants to remember that part of his life. The milk cans belong to anyone who can find the inaccessible box canyon and the treasure that he buried just a little more than 20 years ago. He wishes all who seek his treasure the best of luck, and as he is getting along in years now, his days of searching for his past are coming to an end. May you be lucky enough to make the acquaintance of this remarkable man some day as the shadows are falling on your campfire deep in the Matazals.
