Advertisement for the Ben A. Balsam Driving School. Adirondack Daily Enterprise, December 24, 1952. Courtesy of NY Historic Newspapers.Born: c. 1890, New York City
Died:
Ben Balsam drove taxis and ran a driving school in Saranac Lake, called the Ben A. Balsam Driving School. He originally came to Saranac Lake for the cure in 1922 and stayed following successful treatment. He came from a family of 13 children in New York City, and only received a 5th or 6th grade education. Howard Riley recollects that he ran the driving school business into his 80s. He also opened "Pete & Ben's Smoke Shop" at 3 Broadway with Pete Munn in July of 1953. He lived with his wife at 19 Franklin Avenue in 1970.
New 'Smoke Shop' Opens on Broadway, Adirondack Daily Enterprise, July 23, 1953
Cigars, cigarettes, candy, magazines, stationery and novelties can be found at the Smoke Shop, 3 Broadway. The new shop has been operating just one week today under the ownership of Pete Munn and Ben Balsam. Business hours are from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily except Sunday when the store is open from 8 am. to 1 p.m.
Classified ad for driving lessons. Adirondack Daily Enterprise, April 21, 1948. Courtesy of NY Historic Newspapers.Ben Balsam Not Guilty of Criminal Mischief, Adirondack Daily Enterprise, July 29, 1970
Ben A. Balsam, 80, of Saranac Lake was found "not guilty" of criminal mischief in the 3rd degree by a jury in Village Justice Court at 12:10 a. m, today. Specifically Mr. Balsam was accused of scratching the fender of a 1966 Corvette belonging to Ronald Delair of 71 Bloomingdale Ave. on July 14 when the car was parked at the Brewster Gulf Service Station on River Street.
James LaPan was attorney for the defendant. Assistant District Attorney Joseph Duffy prosecuted for the people.
Mr. Delair took the stand for the people and testified that Mr. Balsam had been a tenant of his for about 10 or 11 months and that the tenancy was terminated by Mr. Delair. Mr. Delair then told about leaving his car at the station about 8:40 on July 14, parking it facing the Lakeview Grill between two other vehicles. He was later that morning called back to the station by John Brewster who pointed out to him the scratches on the left front fender of his car that had allegedly been made by Mr. Balsam.
The main witness for the prosecution, however, was William Darrah, 20, an employee at the station who testified that he was working in the right hand stall of the station when he heard a scratching noise and observed Mr. Balsam near the Delair car with his arm making a forward and backward motion over the fender.
Mr. Darrah testified also that he had a clear vision of Mr. Balsam from the waist up, that he knew him as a customer, and that he then tried to get Mr. Brewster's attention as he was talking to Mrs. Louise Bellaire, another customer.
Mr. Balsam had walked back to his car parked on Church Street, Mr. Darrah testified, before he could get Brewster's attention and they both then went to the Delair car and found fresh scratches with [paint shavings?] hanging from the scratch marks and on the ground.
Photos were produced of the car which were taken for Mr. Delair showing other scratches that were on the car previously. Mr. Delair testified as to which scratches were on the care previous to his parking it on the 14th.
Mr. LaPan took the stand as the first witness for his client saying it was the first time in 20 years of practice that he had testified on behalf of a client. He said he went to the station on July 23, took pictures and looked at the Delair car which was being worked on in the left stall of the station. He testified further that he talked to Mr. Darrah and that Mr. Darrah had lifted up a cover from each front fender, used by mechanics to protect the finish while the car is being worked on, and that Mr. Darrah agreed with him that the scratches on the right side of the car were the same as those on the left.
This was opposed to Mr. Darrah's testimony as he said that he did not inspect both sides of the car with Mr. LaPan and never said anything to him about the scratches being the same.
Mr. Balsam then took the stand and in answer to questions by Mr. LaPan he said he would "be 81 my next birthday," was born in New York City, one of 13 children, and was educated only through 5th or 6th grade.
He testified that he came to Saranac Lake in 1922 because he was ill with tuberculosis and after curing had worked here operating taxis, selling cars, and as a driving instructor, the latter two occupations which he still pursues. He said he had never been arrested or convicted of a crime.
Mr. Balsam, in his testimony, said he went to the Brewster station on July 14, used the men's room, walked by the front office and "passed the time of day" with Mrs. Bellaire, greeting Mr. Darrah and walked over to inspect a Volkswagen that was parked near the Delair vehicle. He said he didn't know at the time that the car next to the Volkswagen belonged to Mr. Delair. He said he looked at the Volkswagen because he thought it might be for sale and that he might run across a prospect. He said the last time he sold a car was about a year ago and that he sold it for Mr. Brewster.
Under questioning by Mr. Duffy, he testified that he had lived for nearly a year in Mr. Delair's house and that Mr. Delair had owned that same car and had it parked in the driveway often. He said he did not recognize the car in Mr. Brewster's yard but that he did recognize it when it was parked at the Delair home. Under questioning Mr. Balsam said he did not recall if the Volkswagen was licensed but did recall that the Corvette was licensed. He said also that Bill Bailey owned a Corvette the same color (maroon) as Delair's and he thought it might have been his.
Mr. LaPan asked Mr. Balsam what he did after he left that station. Mr. Balsam said he went to the "Bloomingdale Avenue Bus Terminal" and bought a paper which he does every day and then parked his car in front of the Berkeley Hotel where he sits and reads, as he does every day. He said Mr. Brewster came over to him and said, "Ben, follow me down to the gas station, I want to show you something." He said he went down and Mr. Brewster took him over to the Corvette and pointed out the scratches asking, "Did you do that?" Mr. Balsam testified that his answer was, "Now why would I want to do a thing like that?"
He testified later that the police called him and said they had a warrant for his arrest.
To a question by Mr. LaPan, Mr. Balsam testified, "As God is my judge, I never touched Mr. Delair's car."
The six-man jury included Vincent Pelletieri, Maitland DeSormo, Mrs. Lillian Cassavaugh, Charles Shumway, James Courtney, and Wesley Moody.
Mr. Shumway was appointed jury foreman. They deliberated about 10 or 12 minutes, returned to the jury box and Mr. Shumway stood and said, "We find the defendant not guilty."
Mr. Balsam jumped up and addressing the jury said, "God Bless You All!"
The case was heard before Village Justice Karl Griebsch who commended the jurors for fulfilling their civic obligation and announced that the case was closed.
The Social Mirror; Coming and Going, Adirondack Daily Enterprise, September 28, 1970
Mr. and Mrs. Ben A. Balsam of 19 Franklin Avenue are leaving tomorrow for Baltimore, Md., where they will spend the Thanksgiving holiday visiting Mr. Balsam's nephew, Lieut. Edwin Buthorne, who is stationed at Fort Mead, Md., with the U. S. Army.
Doug Stone described "Bennie" Balsam as his father's (Joseph Stone) best friend in Saranac Lake and thought they might have cured together. He said that Balsam spent most of his life in Saranac Lake.
