Tours
2 of the 7 encyclopedias on this shelf carry an entry for Tours. Both are reproduced below, so you can see where they agree and where they differ.
Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)
a town in France, capital of the department of Indre-et-Loire; on the Loire; 145 miles S. W. of Paris. The Loire is here crossed by two suspension bridges, a railway bridge, and a fine stone bridge 1,423 feet long. Many of the streets are spacious, and there are several historic chateaus in the neighborhood. The principal edifice is the cathedral (Tours being an archbishopric), flanked by two towers, 205 feet high, a fine building begun in the 12th, centry. Of the completed in the 16th old abbey church of St. Martin of Tours only two towers remain. The modern buildings include the church of St. Joseph, the theatre, and the musuem. Manufactures include silk, cloth, carpets, chemicals, etc., and there is a large printing and publishing establishment. Tours was known to the Romans by the name of Cæsarodunum. In later times it became famous for its silk manufactures, and had population of 80,000, when the ocation of the edict of Nantes deprived it of nearly half its inhabitants, a blow from which it has never recovered. In 1870 Tours was the seat of the government of national defense. Pop. about 73,- 000.
Aiton's Encyclopedia (1910)
a city of France. It is situated on the left bank of the Loire about 120 miles southwest of Paris. The river is spanned by a notable bridge 1,423 feet long. The banks, like those of the Seine in Paris, are inclosed by a quay along which are handsome houses and stately promenades. There are manufactures of silks, ribbons, and woolen goods, rugs, chemicals, and leather. A large provincial trade is carried on in wheat, wine, honey, wax, dried fruits, hemp, and wool. The more pretentious buildings are the bishop's palace and the cathedral. The latter is celebrated for its domed exterior, a Gothic interior, and beautiful stained glass windows. The famous battle of Tours was fought near this city in 732. In this engagement Charles Martel defeated the Saracen invaders and drove them back towards Spain. Several church councils met at Tours. In 1870, when Paris was invested by the Germans, the seat of government was removed temporarily to Tours. The population in 1910 was about 70,000.