Sam Clemens and “Johnny Kinney”Ž— stake timber claims at Lake Tahoe, and start a forest fire. Recently arrived in Carson City, Kinney was ‘a real-estate dealer and mining speculator’Ž— who Sam met shortly after his arrival in Carson City. The two men set out to explore the lakes timber resources. In fact their aim was to stake timber claims and become rich in the lumber business. Left unattended for a few minutes the campfire set the forest on fire.