Ah, I found it in Brand's Singing Holidays Songbook (Knopf, 1957 - page 211)

THE PEANUT STAND

Come, listen to me closely,
While I rehearse a ditty,
It's all about a fair young girl
Who lived in Jersey City.
She fell in love with a bright young lad
Who was handsome in his prime;
He was chief engineer of a shoemaker's shop,
And his name was Connie O'Ryan.
He was chief engineer of a shoemaker's shop,
And his name was Connie O'Ryan.

Biddy McGhee was a fine young girl,
And noted near and far;
Kept a peanut stand in Jersey
To supply the railroad car.
But when her mother met Connie O'Ryan,
She did not like his clan,
And she said if her daughter kept company with him,
She would bust up the peanut stand.
And she said if her daughter kept company with him,
She would bust up the peanut stand.

Connie O'Ryan was a fine young boy,
And noted far and near,
He could meet the champ at bowling,
And he'd beat him free and clear.
But he fell in with a parcel of New York toughs,
And they led him around like a toy;
And he joined the New York Fire Zou-Zous,
And he went for a soldier boy,
And he joined the New York Fire Zou-Zous,
And he went for a soldier boy.

Biddy McGhee she heard the news,
She took right to her bed.
Her mother kept Connie from coming around,
So the poor girl died right dead.
Her death took effect on Connie, poor lad,
And he never could march in time,
So out of the Corps in a very short time,
They drummed poor Connie O'Rayan.
So out of the Corps in a very short time,
They drummed poor Connie O'Rayan.

The old woman's house is haunted now.
Every night at twelve o'clock
She sees a horrible kind of sight,
Which gives her a terrible shock!
It's the ghosts of Connie and Biddie McGhee,
Come a-walking hand in hand,
And right behind them, marching along,
Is the ghost of the peanut stand.
And right behind them, marching along,
Is the ghost of the peanut stand.


Brand says this is a music hall song from the 1890's, but gives no further information.

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