Quite likely the two-pin crossarm atop the taller pole on the left carried fire alarm telegraph circuits. Typically through the teens these circuits were strung along pole tops since they were vital for immediately reporting fires, therefore it was desired that no other wires come in contact with (fall upon) them. Immediately beneath were telephone wires for local customers, combined to paired cable via a wooden box on the same pole. A local operators' office might have been nearby connecting it to the openwire via the forementioned heavy cable. Electric lighting service wires also ran along this New Hampshire community's downtown. They were strung along separate poles (typically for keeping their higher voltage wires at a safe distance from the comms ones) and one of these has an old gooseneck incandescent street light upon it.

A nice Bell Telephone sign appears in front of the hotel on the right.