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family's crops were destroyed. Later on, when the house was repaired, a new wing
was added to its north side (extending it by a further six metres), the roof was renewed
and a balcony installed. To increase the height of the stone walls by two metres,
stonemason Tony Duico was again hired, evidence of the endurance of Italian ethnic
ties. The operation employed around twelve men and, together with the improvements
and increase to the home's size, testified to the Gervasonis' increased financial security
and status. Further dislocation to family life occurred in 1901 with the arrival in
Yandoit of excise officers to confiscate unlicensed stills used in brandy making. The
Gervasonis, who apparently had not licensed their stills (probably regarding their
brandy supply for personal consumption only), had been forced to dispose of much of
their produce; as the word of the officials' coming spread, spirits were quickly tipped
away, including 200 litres over the verandah at Bergamo. The greatest loss for Carlo
during this period came, however, with the death of his sixteen year old daughter Mary
that same year ~ a loss which possibly, focusing his attention on the preciousness of
family ties, prompted him to book a holiday to Italy. Throughout the 1880s, he had
also received many letters from his brother Giuseppe which detailed the family's
financial hardships and spoke of the ill feeling generated by Evaristo."** Carlo was
given little opportunity to settle the family problems, however, falling ill with
pneumonia and dying wdthin three weeks of his arrival in San Gallo. Allowing no one
to nurse him but the wife of Evaristo, this does suggest, however, some mending of the
personal bittemess. Carlo was comforted during his last two days and nights by the
village priest and died a peaceful death in the family home. His large funeral was
reportedly attended by 24 priests,"*' evidence not only of the family's last"ng ties with
the Catholic Church (in the eariy 1900s, Cario's nephew Nicola had joined a
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