Looped electrical wire twisting technique - GIF

[Frank S]

In another era that was known as the Western Union wire splice.

Crusty is exactly correct Highway men would cut the telegraph lines before committing their crimes insuring that the towns folk had no means of communications until someone located the pole where the line had been cut. There was always some sag in the lines so pulling the ends far enough to reconnect them usually was not a problem they would make the figure 8 then twist off the ends to make a solid connection. Smarter highwaymen would cut a section out of the line and dispose of it meaning the repairman had to ride back to town for wire. Pretty soon the repairmen carried a few coils of wire on their saddle horns like a lariat nails and insulators a hammer their pliers and a few other tools in their saddle bags and the first mobile line repairmen were born.