Possibly he had met the Walter Scott man.

She turned away.
"I guess I'll go and help Mrs.Smith lay out the lunch," she said, as the easiest way to be rid of the annoyance.
"I guess I'll go, too," said Eliph' Hewlitt promptly and cheerfully.
"I'm a good hand at that.

It tells all about it in Jarby's Encyclopedia.
Look under 'P':'Picnic Lunches.

Picnic, How to Organize and Conduct.
Picnic, Origin of,' et cetery, et cetery.

A book that contains all the knowledge in the world condensed into one volume, with lives of all the world's great men, from Adam to Roosevelt, and the dying words of them that is dead." Miss Sally turned on him sharply.
"Goodness sakes!" she exclaimed, "I wish you would either sell me a copy of that book or keep still about it.