Statue of John McLaren, Golden Gate Park (sketch by Heath Massey)

The statue of John McLaren in Golden Gate Park is a little bit shorter than I am  (I’m just under 5’7″).  Is it life-sized, I wonder?  Somehow I always imagined John McLaren as a major physical presence, given the stories about the fear and trembling that he induced in his gardening staff.  (see former post: https://fromthethicket.com/2010/10/09/john-mclaren/) Come to think of it, though, the man depicted in the statue, although not tall, is actually quite intimidating.  Bald and portly, with military bearing and deep-set eyes fixed on a pine cone, he seems formidable.  I would hesitate to cross him.  Obviously stature is about much more than physical size.