As the story unfolds, the reader is introduced to an array of colorful characters. The loyal band of pushcart peddlers is led by the Pushcart King, Maxie Hammerman, a man who takes great pride in his craft of designing, building and maintaining the five hundred and nine pushcarts that ply the streets of New York. It is Maxie's astute leadership that eventually outwits the Big Three, the corrupt leaders of the trucking industry.

The most fully developed pushcart peddler is Mr. Jerusalem, a peace-loving individualist who has always believed in minding his own business. In doing so he has developed a complete and selfcontained life style. His pushcart is his business and his home. Kitchen utensils hang neatly from the underside of his cart, and a charcoal burner is built into one of its corners. At night Mr. Jerusalem drops canvas sheets from the sides of...