Charles H. Bender (1860-1936) was a well-known Grand Rapids banker. The collection consists of humorous incoming and outgoing letters of Bender. The letters relate to a practical joke instigated by Frederick W. Stevens, a friend of Bender and a nationally known lawyer, diplomat and financier. The practical jokes pertain to Bender's refusal to run for the governorship on the Democratic ticket and his return from a tour of Europe.