Have been unable to find the author of the lyrics to match the 1898 recording date.
Any ideas of where to look? Still have some of google to go through.

R. Frank Butts, in addition to a couple of comic songs, recorded many "Gospel" songs, especially "old time." In an archived article "Children in the Revival," in NY Times- "Like many of the other principal evangelists concerned in the great spiritual renaissancce in Brooklyn, R. Frank Butts, the moving and delightful Gospel singer, comes from Lima, Ohio." (Article found through google, pdf. I tried printing it, but got pages with headings only).