Dick, that information on the original composer of the song is really interesting! At the risk of getting off topic, I did a little Google-ing of Edward Harrigan, it turns out that he wrote "Get Up, Jack-- John Sit Down" in 1885 to be included in a musical play called "Old Lavender." Apparently it was a farce set in a dockside slum area. Thanks to Google Books, one can find Harrigan's original song here: http://books.google.com/books?id=D6-fV6nGceYC&lpg=PA109&dq=%22edward%20harrigan%

Also, there is a version of the song lyrics in "American Ballads and Folk Songs" by Alan Lomax, described as a song "sung and written down by John Thomas, a Welsh sailor on the 'Philadelphia' in 1896." (Found via a reference in the Warner book.) Again, Google Books is there to help those who wish to see what that looks like:
http://books.google.com/books?id=Dn0cSe2ecuoC&lpg=PA493&dq=american%20ballads%20