If you use an oldest first search for Says I on the California Digital Newspaper Collection  you will see it in use in the 1846 and 1847. . 

    On Tuesday, January 23, 2018 10:16 AM, Gregg Camfield <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
 

 It's a fairly common motif in folk humor from way back.

G

-----Original Message-----
From: Mark Twain Forum [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Scott Holmes
Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2018 9:34 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: =93Says I=94 refrain

Doesn't Ben Gunn say that, repeatedly?

On Tue, 2018-01-23 at 03:24 -0800, Clay Shannon wrote:
> I=3DE2=3D80=3D99m reading Hamlin Garland=3DE2=3D80=3D99s =3DE2=3D80=3D9CM=
rs.
> Ripley=3DE2=3D80=3D99s T=3D
> rip=3DE2=3D80=3D9D in his =3DE2=3D80=3D9CMain-Travelled Roads=3DE2=3D80=
=3D9D
> collection.=3D20
>=20
> There=3DE2=3D80=3D99s a woman in the story (the neighborhood gossip) who=
=20
> repeatedl=3D y says, =3DE2=3D80=3D9CSays I.=3DE2=3D80=3D9D
>=20
> There=3DE2=3D80=3D99s a Twain book with a similar lady - I think she appe=
ars=20
> towar=3D d the end of =3DE2=3D80=3D9CHuck Finn,=3DE2=3D80=3D9D at the Phe=
lps farm.
>=20
> Does anybody know if Twain and Garland were aware of each using a=20
> similar ch=3D aracter?
>=20
> I think Twain=3DE2=3D80=3D99s predated Garland=3DE2=3D80=3D99s. Shades of=
=20
> plagiarism?
>=20
> -- B. Clay Shannon=3D
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