Swift & Co. Union City (Cal.) Express, ms. express company marking, used with mostly clear blue oval 'Wells Fargo & Co. Express, San Francisco', on blue folded letter datelined 'Alarado, Dec. 22, 1854' to San Francisco, writer muses at length on the rampant corruption of that time, minor edgewear and slightly rubbed file fold, otherwise fresh, intact and nearly fine, scarce use of ms. marking during the early operation of this company, 1854-1859, printed franks came later