He was born on August 13, 1842, in Canandaigua, Ontario County, New York, the son of Rev.

He was described in contemporary news accounts as a "raving lunatic", being "stark mad", and suffering from "religious frenzy".

On June 1, 1874, Abraham Lansing was appointed by Governor John Adams Dix as Acting Treasurer, pending Raines's recovery or a decision by the State Legislature which would convene only next January.

[4] After recovering his mental health, Raines was reinstated to the Treasury by Governor Dix on August 19, 1874.

Raines died on August 12, 1924, in Rochester, New York; and was buried at the Mount Hope Cemetery there.