I have been a Burl Ives fan since I was about eight and could not wait to hear Big Rock Candy Mountain on the radio. Cyril Tawney was an Ives fanatic. If you listen to Fare thee well my Honey, and then Grey Funnel line you'll see what I mean. The Oggie man is pure Burl Ives delivery, and why not. I have learned a great deal about approach to Folk Songs from Burl Ives. Basic guitar then a well thought out link between verses. If you trace Ives back to his traditional roots you will be led to listen to the likes of Mrs. Texas Gladden, and Bradley Kincaid. Ives version of the Devils nine questions comes from Mrs. Gladden, and Barbara Allen from Kincaid You will find a young(ish) Burl Ives singing on the 1946 Western 'Smokie'. It's a kids film I think.
By the way he was thrown into jail for singing the Foggy Dew, considered to be an obscene song in the 1930's. I'm not into any of the modern disrespect that has reared it's head due to his self preservation in the McCarthy era. To me he was one of the great originals, and I still listen regularly to the Lomax recordings he made in the 1940's.