HE number of elegant driving equipages that are seen on Minneapolis streets and boulevards always attracts the notice of the visitor. It is hard for Eastern people to realize that all of the accessories of luxurious life can be found in this wonderful Western city, of whose marvelous growth they have heard so much. They accept the figures, but to most of them the population must needs be boorish, or at best far from refined. And so the visitors, which the convention of the year have brought to the city, have been delightfully surprised, and have been able to take to their Eastern homes lessons in the luxury of life. It is true Minneapolis has sought and found the comforts which wealth can buy rather than mere fashion, and in nothing is this truth more apparent than in the carriages of our wealthy men. In any city of equal wealth in the East the wealthy lady when she drives has her footman beside the coachman on the box, and if she is ultra fashionable the simple monogram has been supplanted on her coach door by an armorial crest, brought from no one knows where, by no one knows whom and meaning no one knows what.

But Minneapolis people are not built that way. They are sensibly and singularly, perhaps, free from that most disgusting of all affectations, Anglomania. Of course the presence of the footman does not necessarily mean "aping the English," but it is to be hoped that the line will continue to be drawn at the knightly crest and shield. The footman will come - it has only been within the past few years that the coachman has donned livery, and in many first families he is still content to appear in ordinary clothing, but every year sees more of him in the garments which give such an aristocratic air to the turnout, and after the first footman takes his seat on the box it will not be long till the genus will be common. Talking at Darrow's in Nicollet avenue, the other day, it was learned that the coupe and landau have been superseded by the more fashionable extension front brougham and the coupe rockaway for closed carriages. The carbiolet continues to be thoroughly respectable, and divided the honors with the aristocratic victoria, both, however, being somewhat eclipsed by the latest applicant for popular favor, the French victoria. The victoria is a very popular carriage. It is very roomy and luxuriously comfortable, and it is, moreover, a very stylish looking vehicle. For pleasure driving there is probably no carriage that combines so many good qualities. It is the correct thing to have a victoria for pleasant weather and a closed carriage for rainy days, and many Minneapolis people are blessed with both.

Among the Minneapolitans whose equipages are noticeable for comfort and elegance a few are mentioned, though no attempt has been made to secure a complete list. Doubtless there are many others that would grace such a catalogue, but these are cited at random:

William L. Woodford is the envied possessor of one of the finest turnouts in the city, an extension top brougham, and large bay horses with bang tails, silver mounted coach harness. Coachman in hunter's green livery.

R. W. Goodfellow drives a pair of browns, weight about 2,200, to his extension front brougham.

Harry F. Legg owns a speedy mismatched span, black and gray, and an extention front brougham. Coachman in green livery; one of the most stylish turnouts in town.

R. B. Langdon's family carriage is a roomy victoria, drawn by a span of blacks.

G. W. Porter's victoria is drawn by a splendidly matched span of browns; one of the best carriage teams in the city.

Will Steele has several carriages, his favorite being a two-seated dog cart, finished in the natural wood. His horses are fine chestnut sorrels. Mr. Steele also has a victoria and an extension front brougham. His coachman wears hunter's green.

Theodore Basting drives a mismatched bay and sorrel to his victoria.

George R. Newell's handsome victoria and sorrels make an elegant appearance.

Capt, S. P. Snider drives a large pair of bang-tail bays to his victoria.

W. L. Bassett's victoria is drawn by a pair of bays, driven by a coachman in green livery.

Alden Smith is said to have the best span in the city. They are bays, 16 hands high and have been bang-tailed, but Mr. Smith has tired of the fashion. He rides in a victoria.

Harvey Brown's carriage is an extension front brougham; sorrel horses.

W. D. Washburn has a glass front landau and an extension front brougham. His horses are fine large bays with bang tails; green livery.

J. W. Johnson's family carriage is a coupe rockaway, drawn by a good span of bays; green livery.

Mrs. W. W. McNair owns a victoria and landau; her stylish horses are driven by a coachman in plum-colored livery.

Thomas Lowry also rides in his own victoria or landau. He drives a large span of browns; green livery.

Charles A. Pillsbury has a new team of blacks of which he is justly proud. He rides in a canopy top Saxon wagon or a coupe rockaway.

Fred Pillsbury's victoria is drawn by a strong pair of bays.

Ex-Gov. John S. Pillsbury probably has more carriages than any gentleman in the city. He usually drives a cabriolet, besides which he has an extension coupe rockaway, a canopy-top Saxon wagon and a six-seated rockaway. His stables contain three span of carriage horses - bays, blacks and grays.

L. S. Buffiington has a coupe rockaway and a victoria. His bays are rather small, but first-class animals.

Jessie Jones' fine bays are frequently seen hitched to his victoria; he also has a six-seated rockaway.

H. G. Sidle's family carriage is an extension front brougham; he has an extension top cabriolet. His horses are bright bays.

J. K. Sidle drives bays to a victoria.

Thomas King has a fine team, mismatched sorrel and black; victoria and folding-top rockaway.

Dr. Bissell owns a victoria and a coupe. His large bay horses are much admired.

H. G. Harrison drives a fine span of blacks to his victoria; he also owns a coupe rockaway.

Col. Goodrich's carriage is an extension-front brougham, to which are driven a fine span of bays.

Clinton Morrison drives brown horses in gold-mounted harness to a coupe rockaway or an extension-top cabriolet.

W. H. Dunwoody rides a coupe behind a handsome team of long-tailed grays. His coachman wears blue livery.

S. H. Madison has a very stylish span of long-tailed bays. His carriage is an extension-top cabriolet.

E. H. Moulton drives a beautiful team of browns to his surrey wagon. He also has a coupe.

W. S. King has just received a new victoria. His horses are a well-matched set of browns.

J. C. Osenwald's carriage is a landau; large bay horses in silver mounted harness; coachman in black livery.

W. W. Eastman's family carriage is a landau; his horses are large blacks with bang tails; livery blue.

D. Morrison owns one of the finest turnouts in the city; the carriage is a landau, drawn by large bang tailed bays; plum covered livery.