Like the Western Army and Army of the Potomac during the war, the City of New York possesses its troop of bummers--men who hate the discipline of life, detest marching in the ranks of workers, and hold industry in abomination. They consist of two classes, the temporary, made so by misfortune, or their own fault, and the permanent, who are so from their own deliberate choice. The first deserve what they seldom receive--our pity and sympathy, while the second equally rarely obtain their just deserts of contempt and disgust. The regular bummer is a mixture of the thief and beggar, usually possessing more of the characteristics of the latter than the former, as his cowardice and indolence prevent him from rising high in the ranks of criminals. His strongest feeling is a horror of all regular employment; his chief happiness is to lie with a well-filled stomach on the Battery, in the sun, and sleep; his hell, or 'infinite dread,' is to be arrested by the police and be sent to the Island as a vagrant. All that a man, whether rich or poor, can require, is food, clothing, lodging, and money for amusement or luxury. More than this the wealthiest can never obtain--less than this the bummer seldom possesses. His first principle is never to pay for food, even if he has the money. In a city like this, where plenty of good food is thrown away every day, it is a shame for any man to go hungry,' remarked one of this tribe, 'and I won't go with an empty belly; I ask until I have enough.' This is the feeling of all, and is acted upon by all. He begs bread from the bakers, and broken victuals from restaurants and private houses. In summer he strolls around the market to pick up or steal what he can find. His money he will spend for liquor for himself and friends, but considers it wasted if used to buy food. He will treat a brother in distress to five-cent whiskey as long as his money holds out, but his comrade might starve before he would buy him a loaf of bread. He has his regular routes and customers whom he visits, and some of these _chevaliers d'industrie_ keep regular lists of the charitable, their residences, what is the proper time to call, and the probable result of such visit. 'Mr.----, No.--street, coffee and bread, 7 and 8 A.M.; Mr.----, No.--street, 9 A.M., bread, cold meat, or cheese; brown stone house corner of----street, 8 P.M., Irish girl, dinner; bakery,-- street, bread; cracker bakery,----, street; house four doors from---- street, lady, lots to eat and money; sisters in----street, soup; hotel,----street, soup meat, 12.30 P.M.,' etc., etc. This is a partial copy of a list seen by the writer. As a rule he does not go to the same place two days in succession, but having a number, can levy toll at intervals and still keep supplied. Woe to the charitable restaurant- keeper who expresses sympathy--he will be overrun. The keeper of a certain eating-house not far from the City Hall, in reply to the thanks